REMARKABLE  SHIP  WRECKS, 

OR 

A  COLLECTION  OF  INTERESTING  ACCOUNTS 

OP    dr* 

NAVAL  DISASTERS. 

WITH  MANY  PARTICULARS 

'  '       OF    THE*  " 


KXTRAO&DTf  AUY  A^YENtfUKE-VAWJ  SUFFERINGS 

OF    THE 

CREWS  OF  VESSELS  WRECKED  AT  SEA, 

AND 

OF  THEIR  TREATMENT  OJV  DISTANT  SHORES. 
TOGETHER  WITH  AN 

Account  of  rfje  deliverance  of  .Surtntjor^ 


SELECTED  FROM  AUTHENTIC  SOURCES, 

HARTFORD. 

PUBLISHED  BY  ANDRUS  AND  STARR. 

John  Russell,  jr.  Printer. 

1813. 


DISTRICT  OF  CONNECTICUT,  ss. 

^-^    Tl  E  k  Remembered,  That  on  the  ftventieth 
<?  L.  s.    $  Jj    day    of  *January   in  the   thirty -seventh 
'  v^v-*>  '   year  of  the  independence  of  the  United  States 
of  America,  Andrus  &  Starr,  of  the  said  District,  have 
deposited  in  this  office  the   title  of  a  Book   the  right 
whereof  they  claim  as  proprietors,  in  the   words    fol- 
lowing, to  wit :     ...  ,».     •.;::.: 

"  Remarkable  Sbip^rfecks«,  or  a?  collection  of  interest- 
u  ing  accounts  of  NaVal'  Dlsa'steVS,  with  many  particu- 
'•'  Jars  of  the  extra ofidto&ry  .athejittires  and  Bufferings  of 
u  the  Crews  ^cf  jVjeseelsj  \vrecKed  at  sea,  and  of  their 
•f  treatment  on  distant  shores  ;  together  with  an  account 
tc  of  the  deliverance  of  survivors,  selected  from  authentic 
4i  sources." 

In  conformity  to  the  act  of  the  Congress  of  the  Unit- 
ed States,  entitled,  "  An  act  for  the  encouragement  of 
"  learning,  by  securing  the  copies  of  Maps,  Charts,  and 
t;  Books,  to  the  Authors  and  Proprietors  of  such  copies, 
ci  during  the  times  therein  mentioned." 

HENRY  W.  EDWARDS,  Clerk 

of  the  District  of  Connecticut. 
A  true  copy  of  Record. 
Examined  and  Sealed  by  me, 

HENRY  W.  EDWARDS,  Clerk 
of  the  District  of  Connecticut. 


PREFACE. 

IN  presenting  to  the  public  this  volume  of  Aa 
val  Disasters,  we  trust  it  will  not  be  amiss,  to  prefix  a 
few  words  explanatory  of  the  nature  and  subject  of  the 
work.  In  these  sheets  the  reader  is  presented,  not 
with  the  fictitious  picture  of  imagination,  but  the  bold 
hand  of  unsullied  truth  here  records,  what  human  na- 
ture, by  the  will  of  Divine  Providence,  has  been  call- 
ed to  suffer  from  that  tempestuous  element,  to  which 
He  has  said,  "  Hitherto  shalt  thou  come  and  no  farther, 
and  here  shall  thy  proud  waves  be  stayed." 

DOES  the  heart  of  sensibility  send  forth  a  tear  of  sym 
pathy,  at  beholding  the  fire  devouring  and  consuming 
the  house  of  a  friend,  and  him,  together  with  his  fa- 
family,  turned  destitute  into  the  street  ?  How  much 
more  will  it  be  effect^l,  then,  when  witnessing  tl;e 
scenes  herein  exhibited. 

BEHOLD  the  ship  safely  gliding  along  upon  the 
smooth  sea,  every  heart  bounding  with  joy,  at  the 
prospect  of  their  soon  reaching  the  destined  port,  and 
once  more  embracing  those  friends  from  whom  they 
have  long  been  separated ;  when,  all  at  once,  a 
cldud  arises — the  sun  withdraws  its  light — the  tempest 
rolls  on,  accompanied  with  all  the  horrors  of  midnight 

Ivil09726 


&  PREFACE. 

darkness — she  drives  headlong  upon  the  rocks — ah  ! 
fatal  moment.  Where  now  shall  they  seek  for  refuge  ? 
No  kind  friend  is  present  to  lend  the  aid  sufficient  to 
protect  these  unhappy  sufferers  ;  but  the  few  remains 
&f  the  wreck  must  float  them  they  know  not  where, 
destined  often  to  satisfy  the  cravings  of  hunger,  and 
to  prolong  a  lingering  life,  by  drawing  nutriment  from 
Ihe  vilest  crumbs,  and  if  at  length  victorious  over  the 
waves,  failing  at  last,  perhaps,  a  sacrifice  on  deso- 
late coasts,  to  the  deadening  blasts  of  unaccustomed 
climes,  and  the  still  more  fatal  cruelties  of  unfeeling 
barbarians. 

To  seamen,  we  trust  this  volume  will  prove  a  valu- 
able acquisition ;  as  they  may  here  learn  not  only  to 
guard  against  despondency,  should  they  be  called  to 
experience  the  like  misfortunes,  but  with  cool  deliber- 
ation to  choose  the  best  method  of  preservation. 

THOSE  readers  who  wish  to  acquire  a  knowledge  of 
human  nature,  will  here  beh  >!•',  on  the  one  hand,  the 
character  of  those,  who,  under  the  most  trying  cir- 
cumstances, manifested  such  traits  of  heroism,  fortitude, 
and  generosity,  as  will  be  beheld  with  admiration  ; 
while  on  the  other  hand,  he  will  shudder  at  the  recital 
of  those  acts,  which  the  cruel  baud  of  necessity  has 
obliged  them  to  perpetrate. 

IN  a  compilation  embracing  the  objects  of  the  pre- 
sent volume,  the  compilers  scarcely  need  adverfy 


PREFACE.  v 

for  the  satisfaction  of  those  readers,  whose  curiosity 
may  draw  them  more  particularly  to  events  immedi- 
ately connected  with  the  history  of  their  own  country, 
to  the  consideration,  that  on  account  of  the  infancy  of 
the  American  Nation,  and  the  extended  commerce  of 
the  many,  and  more  populous  European  Powers, 
greater  attention  could  not,  consistently,  have  been 
paid  10  domestic  occurrences,  without  an  abridge- 
ment of  accounts,  which,  selected  from  the  experi- 
ence of  all  ages  and  nations,  must,  in  their  nature,  be 
calculated  much  more  deeply  to  interest. 


CONTENTS. 

Page. 

JuOSS  of  the  Brig  Sally,  with  the  sufferings  of  her 
crew,  on  the  wreck.  -  11 

Shipwreck  of  the  Countess  de  Bourk,  on  the  coast 
of  Algiers ;  and  the  adventures  of  her  daughte^ 
Mademoiselle  de  Bourk,  in  1719.  -  -  -  13 

Narrative  of  the  loss  of  the  American  Ship  Hercu- 
les, on  the  coast  of  Caffraria,  June  16tb,  1796.  -  27 

Loss  of  the  Grosvenor  Indiaman,  on  the  coast  of 
Caflfraria,  August  4(h,  1792  ;  with  the  particulars 
relative  to  the  unfortunate  survivors  of  the  wreck.  59 

Shipwreck  of  the  English  EasMndiaman,  the  Fatty- 
salem ;  on  the  coast  of  Coromandel,  on  the  28th 
ef  August,  mi.  94 

The  loss  of  his  Majesty's  Ship  Litchfield,  of  Fifty 
guns,  on  the  coast  of  Barbary,  on  the  30th  of 
November,  1758.  109 

Shipwreck  of  the  Portuguese  Vessel  St.  James,  off 
the  coas*  of  Africa,  in  1586.  120 

The  loss  of  an  English  sloop,  on  the  coast  off  the 
Island  0f  Cape  Breton,  in  1780,  325 


viii  CONTENTS. 

Page. 

The  loss  of  his  Majesty's  ship  Centaur,  of  Seventy- 
Four  guns,  September  23d,  1782;  and  the  mira- 
culous preservation  of  the  Pinnace,  with  the  Cap- 
tain, Master,  and  Ten  of  the  crew.  -  156 

Shipwreck  of  the  sloop  Betsy,  on  the  coast  of  Dutch 
Guiana,  August  5th,  1756.  -  -  172 

The  shipwreck  of  a  Portuguese  Vessel,  with  Em- 
manuel Sosa,  and  his  wife  Eleonora  Garcia  Sala, 
on  the  East  coast  of  Africa,  in  1553.  -  185 

Narrative  of  the  loss  of  the  brig  Tyrrel,  which  was 
overset  in  a  gale  of  wind,  on  her  passage  from 
New-York  to  Antigua,  in  1759.  193 

Narrative  of  the  sufferings  and  extraordinary  adven- 
tures of  Four  Russian  Sailors,  who  were  cast 
away  on  the  Desert  Island  of  East- Spitsbergen, 
in  1743.  204 

Loss  of  the  Halsewell  East  Indiaman,  wrecked  off 
Seacombe,  in  the  Isle  of  Purbeck,  oa  the  coast 
of  Dorsetshire,  January  6th,  1786.  214. 

Loss  of  the  Nottingham  Galley,  of  London  ;  wreck- 
ed on  Boon-Island,  near  New-England,  Decem- 
ber llth,  1710;  with  the  sufferings,  preservation, 
$nd  deliverance  of  the  crew.  226 


CONTENTS.  at 

Page, 

Narrative  of  the  shipwreck  of  M.  De  Brisson,  on 
the  coast  of  Barbary ;  and  of  his  captivity  among 
the  Moors,  in  1785.  -  240 

Shipwreck  of  the  Jonge  Thomas,  a  Dutch  East-In- 
diaman,  at  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  on  the  2d  of 
June,  1773.  260 

Loss  of  the  Apollo  Frigate,  and  Twenty-Nine  sail 
of  West-Indiainen,  Near  Figuera,  on  the  coast  of 
Portugal,  April  2d,  1804.  264 

Shipwreck  of  the  French  ship  Droits  de  L'Honwne, 
of  Seventy-Four  guns,  driven  on  shore,  on  the 
13th  of  January,  1797.  271 

The  loss  of  his  Majesty's  ship  Phoenix,  off  the  Island 
of  Cuba,  in  1780.  279 

The  sufferings  of  Robert  Scotney,  second  mate  of 
the  brig  Thomas,  captain  Gardner,  who  survived 
by  himself  Seventy  Five  days,  on  a  perfect  wreck 
in  1803.  -  295 

The  sufferings  of  Ephrahn  Hotv,  of  New-Haven, 
who  set  sail  for  Boston  in  a  small  Ketch,  which 
on  its  return  was  wrecked  near  Cape  Sable,  in 
the  year  1676.  -  293 

Loss  of  his  Majesty's  ship  La  Tribune,  off  Halifax, 
(Nora  Scotia,)  November,  1797.  -  -  301 


*  CONTENTS. 

Page, 

Shipwreck  of  Captain  George  Roberts,  on  his  pas- 
sage from  Virginia  to  the  coast  of  Guinea,  in 
the  year  1721.  -  307 

Narrative  of  the  loss  of  the  Eearl  of  Abergavenny, 
East  Indiaman,  Captain  John  Wadsworth,  which 
drove  on  the  Shambles,  off  the  Bill  of  Portland, 
and  sunk  in  twelve  fathom  water,  on  the  5th  of 
February,  1805.  316 

Loss  of  the  Corbin,  commanded  by  Francis  Pirard 
De  Laval,  on  the  Maldivia  Islands.  323 

Loss  by  fire,  of  the  French  East-India  Company's 
Vessel,  the  Prince,  bound  from  L^Orient  to  Pon- 
dicherry,  July  26th,  1752.  339 

Shipwreck  of  the  Degrave  East-Indiaman,  on  the 
coast  of  Madagascar,  in  1701.  351 

An  extraordinary  Famine  in  the  American  ship  Peg- 
gy, on  her  return  from  the  Azores  to  New- York, 
in  1765.  355 

Loss  of  the  American  Sloop  Thetis,  which  was  up- 
set in  a  gale  of  wind,  on  the  23d  of  November, 
1809,  on  her  passage  from  New-Bedford  to  Sa- 
vanna. 361 

A  brief  sketch  of  the  engagements  that  have  taken 
place  between  the  Public  Vessels  of  the  United 

States  and  those  of  Great  Britain,  since  the  com- 
ment of  the  present  War.  -    364 


JU 
LOSS   OP 

THE  BRIG  SALLY. 

CAPTAIN    TABRY, 

AUGUST  8th,  1767,  while  in  latitude  25,  hav- 
ing a  strong  gale  of  wind,  the  brig  Sally  was  laid  to  un- 
der her  main  stay- sail  till  ten  o'clock  the  next  morning:, 
when  she  was  hove  on  her  beam  ends,  and  in  less  than 
five  minutes  turned  keel  upwards,  so  that  they  had  on- 
ly time  to  cut  away  the  lanyards  of  her  main-mast. 
There  were  on  board  Anthony  Tabry,  Master ;  Hum- 
phry Mars,  mate  ;  Joseph  Sherver,  Samuel  Bess,  John 
Burna,  mariners,  who  were  drowned  ;  six  other  mariners, 
viz.  Peter  Toy,  Daniel  Cultan,  John  Davis,  Alexan- 
der Landerry,  Peter  Mayes,  and  William  Haminon, 
having  got  hold  of  the  top  mast  which  floated  alongside, 
tied  it  to  the  stern,  and  supported  themselves  by  it,  till 
about  five  o'clock  in  the  evening,  when  the  cabbin-boy 
swam  to  the  hull,  and  threw  them  a  rope,  by  which 
they  got  on  the  bottom  of  the  vessel,  where  they  were 
still  in  a  dismal  plight ;  the  first  want  that  invaded  them 
was  drink,  this  drove  away  all  thoughts  of  meat.  The 
main-mast,  with  all  the  rigging,  the  lanyards  having 
been  cut  away,  came  up  alongside,  from  which  they 
got  the  wreath,  (a  square  hoop  which  binds  the  bead  of 
the  mast,)  with  which,  and  a  bolt  of  a  foot  long,  they 
went  to  work  on  her  bottom  ;  in  the  mean  time  keeping 
their  mouths  moist,  as  well  as  they  could,  by  chewing 
the  stuff  of  her  bottom,  she  not  having  any  barnacles, 
being  lately  cleaned  ;  and  some  lead  which  was  on  her 
bow,  and  drinking  their  own  water:  in  four  .days  time 
Peter  Toy  died,  raving  for  drink,  whose  body  they 
threw  off  the  vessel  the  next  day.  In  this  manner  did 
they  work  for  six  days,  without  meat,  drink,  or  sleep, 
not  daring  to  lie  down  for  fear  of  falling  off  the  vessel ; 
the  sixth '  day  they  got  a  hole  in  the  brig,  where  they 
foimd  a  barrel  of  bottle  beer ;  this  they  drank  very  greed- 


12  LOSS  -Cyp-THE   BRIG   SALLY, 

ily  :  they  isoon  got  another  parcel,  when  one  of  them  put 
the  others  on  an  allowance.  The  eleventh  day  of  their 
being  on  the  wreck,  they  got  a  barrel  of  pork,  which 
ihey  were  obliged  to  eat  raw. 

As  to  sleep,  as  soon  as  they  got  a  hole  through  the 
vessel's  bottom,  they  pulled  out  a  great  number  of  staves 
and  shingles,  and  made  a  platform  in  the  same  place,  but 
so  small  it  was,  that  when  they  wanted  to  turn,  they 
were  obliged  to  wait  till  the  sea  hoisted  the  vessel,  and 
when  she  fell  again  with  the  sea,  they  were  ahnost  froze 
to  death.  Thus  did  these  poor  miserable  fellows  live 
for  thirteen  or  fourteen  days  :  after  they  got  the  pork, 
they  made  a  kind  of  net  with  a  hoop,  some  shingles, 
and  ropes,  which  they  got  from  the  mast ;  this  they  let 
into  the  sea,  with  some  pork,  and  caught  a  few  small 
fish,  which,  with  two  or  three  mice  they  caught  on  board 
the  brig,  afforded  them  several  most  delicious  repasts, 
raw  as  they  were :  this  lasted  but  a  few  days,  as  they 
could  not  catch  any  more ;  when  they  were  obliged  ta 
return  to  their  pork,  which  had  become  quite  putrid  by 
the  salt  water  getting  into  it. 

To  their  great  joy,  on  the  1st  of  September,  in  lat. 
26,  15,  long.  70,  10,  at  4  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  they 
could  just  perceive  a  vessel  to  windward  of  them,  which 
seemed  to  stand  some  time  for  them ;  it  was  then  they 
despaired,  as  that  morning  they  had  drank  the  last  bottle 
of  their  beer,  and  that  one  was  all  they  had  :  for  .that 
day  they  worked  hard  to  get  at  the  casks  of  water  in  the 
hold,  but  they  were  so  far  from  them,  that  they  could  not 
have  got  at  them  in  a  long  time :  about  sun  half  an  hour 
high,  the  vessel  stood  for  them,  and  came  so  near  that 
they  perceived  a  piece  of  canvass  that  they  had  on  the 
wreck  supported  on  a  board,  bore  down  for  it,  and 
about  seven  or  eight  o'clock  took  them  on  board ;  she 
was  the  brig  Norwich,  Captain  Robert  Noyes.  Thus 
were  they  relieved  when  death  stared  them  in  the  face, 
fey  a  Captain  who  used  them  kindly,  gave  them  food  and 
clothes,  as  their  own  were  rotted  off  their  backs,  washed 
their  sores,  and  gave  them  plasters,  as  they  were  almost 
raw  from  head  to  foot  with  the  heat  of  the  sun  and  salt 
water,  which,  in  many  places,  had  eaten  holes  in  their 
flesb. 


13 


SHIPWRECK  t)F 

THE  COUNTESS  DE  BOURK, 

ON    THE    COAST    OF    ALGIERS. 

3nd  Adventures  of  her  Daughter,  Mademoiselle  de  Bvur/c, 
in  1719. 

JL  HE  Count  de  Bourk,  an  Irish  officer  in  the  ser- 
Tif-c  of  .Spain,  having  been  appointed  ambassador  extraor- 
dinary by  his  Catholic  Majesty,  to  the  Court  of  Sweden,  hi- 
consort,  the  daughter  of  the  Marquis  de  Varenrie,  who  rc- 
siaed  in  France  with  her  family,  determined  to  join  him 
at  Madrid.  With  this  view  she  demanded  and  obtained 
a  passport  for  herself  and  her  whole  family,  excepting 
one  of  her  sons,  three  or  four  years  of  age,  whom  she 
left  with  her  mother  the  Marchioness  de  Varenne.  As 
she  passed  through  Avignon  she  was  joined  by  her  bro- 
ther, an  officer  in  the  navy,  who  accompanied  her  to 
Montpellier.  Here  he  dissuaded  her  from  going  by  land, 
through  the  armies  of  France  and  Spain,  though  the 
Marechal  de  Berwick  had  offered  to  exert  his  ijti 
endeavors  to  procure  her  a  safe  passage  to  the  Sj 
frontiers ;  and  his  son.  the  Marquis  de  Berwick,  had 
promised  her  any  escort  she  wished  from  the  frontiers  to 
Gironne,  where  he  commanded  the  troops  of  his  Catho- 
lic Majesty.  The  dread  of  the  armies  induced  her  to 
listen  to  the  representation,  that  without  incurring  so 
many  dangers  and  so  great  an  expense,  the  shortest  way 
would  be  to  embark  at  Cette,  from  whence  she  might 
reach  Barcelona  in  twenty-four  hours.  This  plan  she 
adopted  the  more  readily,  as  she  had  before  made  several 
voyages.  Having  procured  another  passport  she  repair- 
ed to  Cette,  where  she  found  several  French  vessels  ; 
but  as  none  of  them  were  bound  to  Spain,  she  was 
B 


1.4  ,  THE    SHIPWRECK   OP 

obliged  to  take  her  passage  in  a  Genoese  Tartan,  that  was 
ready  to  sail  for  Barcelona. 

,  Madame  de  Bourk  embarked  with  her  son,  aged  eight 
years,  her  daughter  nine  years  and  ten  months  ;  the  Abbe 
de  Bourk,  tour  female  servants,  a  steward,  and  a  footman. 
These,  with  two  other  persons,  composed  the  whole  of 
her  suite.  She  likewise  had  on  board  part  of  her  effects 
and  much  valuable  property  :  among  the  rest  a  rich  ser- 
vice of  silver  plate,  a  portrait  of  the  king  of  Spain,  set 
in  gold,  and  enriched  with  diamonds,  £ic. :  the  whole 
forming  seventeen  bales  or  packages^ 

The  Tartan  set  sail  on  the  22d  of  October,  1719.  On 
the  the  25th  at  day  break,  an  Algerine  corsair,  command- 
ed by  a  Dutch  renegado,  appeared  about  two  leagues  to 
windward  of  the  Tartan,  which  was  then  in  sight  of 
the  coast  of  Palamos.  The  Captain  despatched  his  long 
boat,  with  twenty  armed  Turks,  to  take  posse,  ion  of 
her.  As  they  approached  they  fired  seven  or  eK  '  mus- 
ket shots  without  wounding  any  person,  because  th-j 
whole  of  the  crew  had  either  fallen  flat  on  the  deck  o.1 
concealed  themselves.  The  Turks  boarded  the  Tartan 
sword  in  hand,  and  wounded  one  of  Madame  de  Bourk's 
servants  in  two  places.  They  then  proceeded  to  the 
cabin,  where  that  lady  was,  placed  four  centinels  over  it, 
and  stood  with  the  Tartan  towards  the  corsair.  On  the 
way  the  Turks  ransacked  every  part  of  the  vessel.  They 
found  some  hams,  which  they  threw  overboard,  but 
greedily  devoured  the  pasties,  and  drank  immoderately 
of  the  wine  and  brandy. 

When  they  came  along  side  the  corsair  they  removed 
nil  the  Genoese  into  her,  and  immediately  put  them  in 
irons.  The  Captain  then  went  on  board  the  Tartan  to 
Madame  de  Bourk's  cabin,  inquiring  who  she  was,  of 
what  nation,  whence  she  came,  and  whither  she  was 
bound.  She  replied  that  she  was  a  French  woman,  that 
she  was  coming  from  France,  and  going  to  Spain.  He 
desired  to  see  her  passport,  which  she  shewed  him, 
without  suffering  it  to  ^o  out  of  her  hands,  fearing  the 
barbarian  might  destroy  it :  but  upon  the  assurance  of  the 
cotsair  that  he  would  return  it  unto  her  when  he  had  ex- 
amined it,  she  resigned  it  to  him.  After  reading  it  with 
his  interpreter,  he  restored  it  to  her,  saying  that  it  was 


THE    COUNTESS    DE    BOURK.  15 

good,  and  that  she  needed  to  be  under  no  apprehension 
for  herself,  her  suite,  and  her  property.  Madame  de 
Bourk  then  requested,  that  as  she  was  free  both  by  her 
passport  and  her  country,  he  would  land  her  in  his  long 
boat  on  the  coast  of  Spain,  to  which  they  were  so  near ; 
observing,  that  he  owed  this  mark  of  respect  to  the  pass- 
port of  France ;  that  by  his  compliance  he  would 
her  much  fatigue,  and  her  husband  excessive  anxiety  ; 
and  that  if  he  would  render  her  this  service,  she  would 
make  him  a  suitable  acknowledgement.  The  corsair  re- 
plied, that,  being  a  rene^ado,  he  could  not  gratify  her 
wishes,  but  at  the  peril  of  his  own  life  ;  it  being  an  easy 
matter  to  persuade  the  Dey  of  Algiers,  that  under  the 
pretext  of  a  French  passport  he  had  released  a  family 
belonging  to  some  power  inimical  to  his  state,  if  he 
landed  her  upon  Christian  ground  ;  that  it  was  absolutely 
necessary  she  should  accompany  him  to  Algiers,  that  a 
representation  of  her  passport,  and  her  person,  might  be 
made  to  the  Dey,  after  which  she  would  be  delivered  to 
the  French  consul,  who  would  procure  her  a  conveyance 
to  Spain,  in  any  way  she  might  think  proper.  He  added, 
that  he  gave  her  the  op  (ion  of  removing  to  his  vessel,  or 
remaining  on  board  the  Tartiin,  whore  she  would  enjoy 
more  liberty  and  tnmquility  than  in  his  ship  ;  advising  her 
to  adopt  the  latter  pi  as  it  would  not  be  prudent  to 

trust  herself  and  ail  the  females  who  accompanied  her, 
among  nearly  two  hundred  Turks  or  Moors,  of  which  the 
crew  of  his  vessel  consisted.  Madame  dc  Bourk 
cepted  the  latter  proposal,  and  the  captain  sent  on  board 
only  seven  Turks,  or  Moors,  to  work  the  Tartan,  which 
he  took  in  tow  after  taking  away  her  boat,  three  anchors, 
and  all  her  provisions,  excepting  what  belonged  to  Ma- 
dame de  Bourk.  After  this  arrangement  the  corsair  bore 
aw «  for  Algiers.  Madame  de  Bourk  made  him  a  pre- 
sent of  her  watch,  and  gave  another  to  the  Turkish  com- 
mander of  the  Tartan. 

On  the  28th  a  furious  tempest  arose,  and  continued 
till  the  30th,  during  which  the  cable  that  lashed  the  two 
vessels  together,  parted,  and  the  Tartan  was  separated 
from  the  pirate.  The  commanding  officer  and  the  other 
Turks  being  extremely  ignorant  in  nautical  manoeuvre-, 
and  without  any  compass,  that  belonging  to  the  Tartan 


18  THE    SHIPWRECK    OF 

having  been  broken*  in  the  fury  of  boarding,  resigned  the 
direction  of  the  ship  to  the  winds  and  the  sea.  Never- 
theless, the  Tartan  was  driven  on  the  1st  of  November, 
without  accident,  upon  the  coast  of  Barbary,  into  a  gulf 
called  Colo,  to  the  eastward  of  Gigery.  There  they 
came  to  an  anchor,  and  t3ie  commander  being  unac- 
quainted with  that  part  of  the  coast,  ordered  two  Moors 
to  swim  to  shore  to  inquire  of  the  inhabitants  where  he 


The  Moors  in  the  vicinity  perceiving  the  Tartan,  re- 
paired aimed,  and  in  great  numbers,  to  the  shore,  to  op- 
pose any  landing  :  they  conjectured  that  it  was  a  Chris- 
tian vessel,  come  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  off  their 
cattle,  but  they  were  undeceived  by  the  Moors  belonging 
'fo  the  corsair,  who  informed  them  that  it  was  a  prize 
taken  from  the  Christians,  and  had  on  board  an  illustri- 
ous French  Princess,  whom  they  were  carrying  to  Al- 
giers. One  of  the  Moors  remained,  on  shore,  the  other 
swam  back  to  inform  the  captain  what  coast  it  was  off 
which  lie  had  anchored,  and  its  distance  from  Algiers  ; 
telling  him  at  the  same  time  that  they  must  have  been 
driven  past  that  city  by  the  violence  of  the  wind  which 
Lad  prevailed  for  several  days.  Upon  this  intelligence, 
the  commander,  impatient  to  depart  and  join  the  corsair, 
ilk!  not  give  himself  time  to  weigh  the  anchor,  but  cut- 
ihiv  the  cable,  set  sail,  without  anchor,  boat,  or  compass. 

He  was  not  half  a  league  from  the  gulf  when  he  paid 
dearly  for  his  imprudence  :  a^  contrary  wind  arose, 
which,  in  spite  of  his  exertions,  drove  him  back  to  the 
shore  ;  he  attempted  to  use  his  oars,  but,  with  the  few 
hands  he  had  on  board,  they  were  perfectly  useless.  The 
Tartan  struck  upon  a  rock  and  went  to  pieces.  The 
whole  of  the  stem  was  instantly  under  water,  and  Ma- 
tkrne  de  Bonrk,  who  was  at  prayers  in  the  cabin  vtth 
her  son  and  female  domestics,  had  nearly  perished  with 
them.  Those  who  were  at  the  head  of  the  ship,  among 
whom  were  the  Abbe  de  Bourk,  Mr.  Arture,  an  Irishman, 
the  steward,  one  of  the  maids,  and  the  footman,  clung 
to  that  part  of  the  wreck  which  remained  on  the  rock. 

Mr.  Arture  perceiving  something  in  the  water,  strug- 
gling with  the  waves,  ventured  down,  and  found  that 
it  was  Mademoiselle  de  Bourk,  whom  he  rescued  from 


THE    COUNTESS    DE     BOVRIi,  17 

her  perilous  situation,  and  delivered  her  into  the  hands  of 
the  Steward,  recommending  her  to  his  care,  adding,  that 
for  his  part  he  would  betake  himself  to  the  sea,  as  he  was 
the  only  person  who  could  swim.  Fortunate  would  it 
have  been  for  him  if  he  had  not  trusted  to  his  dexterity ; 
for  from  that  moment  he  was  never  seen  more.  The 
Abbe  first  descended  from  the  wreck  to  the  rock  on  which 
the  Tartan  struck ;  he  there  supported  himself  some 
time,  against  the  violence  of  the  wraves,  by  means 
of  his  knife,  which  he  had  thrust  with  force  in- 
to a  cleft  of  the  rock.  The  sea  broke  several  times 
over  him,  and  even  threw  him  upon  a  dry  rock,  where 
he  had  only  a  small  arm  of  the  sea  to  cross,  in  order  to 
arrive  at  the  ^hore.  To  assist  him  in  reaching  it  he  en- 
deavored to  s?ize  a  plank  from  the  wrreck,  that  was  near 
him,  but  failed.  At  length,  by  means  of  an  oar,  he  gain- 
ed a  rock  communicating  with  the  main  land. 

He  wras  seized  and  stripped  by  the  Moors  on  the  shore 
who  cut  off  all  his  clothes,  even  to  his  shirt,  and  other- 
wise ill-treated  him.  While  some  were  thus  engaged, 
others  in  great  numbers  threw  themselves  into  the  sea, 
in  expectation  of  a  rich  booty.  The  steward,  who  held 
Mademoiselle  de  Bourk  in  his  arms,  made  a  sign  to  two 
of  these  barbarians,  who  approached  him,  and  when 
they  were  within  four  paces,  he  threw  her  to  them  with 
all  his  rni^lit ;  they  caught  her,  and  laying  hold  of  her, 
one  by  an  arm,  and  the  other  by  a  leg,  they  conveyed 
her  to  the  shore,  where  they  took  away  only  one  of  her 
shoes  and  stockings,  as  a  token  of  servitude.  The  stew- 
ard, who  confirmed  all  the  circumstances  of  this  fatal 
event,  has  repeatedly  declared,  that  while  he  held  her  in 
his  arms,  upon  the  approach  of  the  barbarians,  she  said 
to  him,  with  an  air  superior  to  her  years,  "  I  am  not 
afraid  that  those  people  will  kill  me,  but  I  am  apprehen- 
sive that  they  will  attempt  to  make  me  change  my  reli- 
gion :  however,  I  will  rather  suffer  death  than  break  my 
promise  to  my  God."  He  confirmed  her  in  this  gener- 
ous sentiment,  declaring  that  he  had  taken  the  same  re- 
solution, in  which  she  earnestly  exhorted  him  to  perse- 
vere. 

The  maid  servant  and  the  footman  then  threw  them- 
selves into  the  water,  where  they  were  received  by  the 
B2 


18  THE    SHIPWRECK   QP 

Moors,  who  assisted  them  in  crossing  the  arm  of  the  se-8, 
and  conducted  them  to  the  shore,  where  they  stripped 
them  quite  naked.  The  steward  having  committed  him- 
self to  the  mercy  of  the  waves,  and  making  use  of  a  cord 
to  assist  him  in  getting  from  rock  to  rock,  was  met  by  a 
Moor,  who  likewise  stripped  him  before  he  arrived  at  the 
shore. 

In  this  deplorable  and  humiliating  state  they  were  at 
first  conducted  to  some  huts  on  the  nearest  mountain. 
They  were  hurried  forward  by  blows,  along  rugged  roads, 
which  tore  their  feet.  The  servant  maid,  in  particular^ 
was  to  be  pitied,  the  poor  girl  being  almost  covered  with 
blood  from  the  wounds  she  had  received  in  scrambling 
over  the  rocks.  Each  of  them  had  besides  a  burthen  of 
wet  clothes,  and  they  were  obliged  to  carry  the  young 
lady  by  turns.  Having  arrived  half  dead,  at  the  moun- 
tain, they  were  received  amidst  the  shouts  of  the  Moors, 
and  the  cries  of  the  children.  These  barbarians  had 
with  them  a  great  many  dogs,  which  are  uncommonly 
numerous  in  that  country  ;  the  animals  being  excited  by 
the  tumult,  joined  their  barkings  to  the  general  discord. 
One  of  them  tore  the  footman's  leg,  and  another  took  a 
piece  out  of  the  thigh  of  the  maid  servant. 

These  unfortunate  people  were  then  separated ;  the 
female  domestic  and  the  footman  were  delivered  to  a 
Moor  of  the  village,  and  Providence  permitted  Mademoi- 
selle de  Bourk  to  remain  under  one  and  the  same  mas- 
ter with  the  Abbe  and  the  steward.  He  first  gave  each  of 
them  a  miserable  cloak,  full  of  vermin ;  their  only  food, 
after  such  fatigues,  consisted  of  a  morsel  of  rye  bread,, 
prepared  without  leaven,  and  baked  underneath  the  ashes, 
with  a  little  water  ;  and  their  bed  was  the  bare  ground. 
The  steward  seeing  his  young  mistress  quite  chilled  by 
her  clothes  that  were  soaked  in  the  water,  with  difficulty 
procured  a  fire  to  be  made,  before  which  he  wrung  them 
out  and  dressed  her  again  before  they  were  half  dry,  be- 
ing unable  to  remain  naked  any  longer.  In  this  manner 
she  passed  the  first  night,  terrified  and  comfortless. 

The  place  in  which  they  were,  contained  about  fifty 
inhabitants,  all  of  whom  resided  in  five  or  six  huts,  con- 
structed with  branches  of  trees  and  reeds.  Here  they 
lived  together  pell-mell,  men,  women,  children,  and 


THE    COUNTESS    DE    BOVRK.  1,9 

beasts  of  every  description.  The  barbarians  assembled 
in  the  hut  where  the  three  captives  were,  to  deliberate 
upon  their  fate.  Some,  conformably  with  a  principle  of 
their  religion,  advised  that  they  should  be  put  to  death, 
conceiving  that  the  sacrifice  of  these  Christians  would  in- 
sure them  the  joys  of  Mahomet's  paradise.  Others  from 
a  principle  of  interest,  and  the  hope  of  a  great  ransom, 
were  of  the  contrary  opinion :  thus  the  assembly  broke 
up  without  coining  to  any  determination. 

The  ensuing  day,  having  sent  for  the  inhabitants  of  the 
neighboring  villages,  they  returned  in  greater  numbers, 
This  was  a  day  of  continual  alarm  to  the  new  slaves, 
Many  of  the  barbarians  made  the  most  outrageous  mena- 
ces, pointing  to  the  fire,  and  giving  them  to  understand 
that  they  would  be  burned  alive ;  others  drawing  their  sa- 
bres, appeared  resolved,  by  their  gestures,  to  cut  off  their 
heads.  One  of  them  seized  Mademoiselle  de  Bourk  by 
the  hair,  applying  the  edge  of  his  sabre  to  her  throat ; 
others  charged  their  muskets  with  ball,  in  the  presence  of 
their  captives,  and  presented  them  against  their  cheeks. 
The  steward  signified  by  signs,  that  he  and  his  compan- 
ions should  esteem  it  a  felicity  to  die  for  the  Christian 
religion,  and  that  all  the  loss  would  be  their's  as  they 
would  deprive  themselves,  by  this  act  of  inhumanity,  of 
the  ransom  they  might  otherwise  expect.  Upon  this  the 
most  outrageous  relented  a  little,  but  the  women  and 
children  every  moment  renewed  their  insults. 

They  were  guarded  with  such  vigilance,  that  a  Moor,, 
with  a  helbert  in  his  hand,  attended  them  on  every  occa- 
sion, the  barbarians  being  apprehensive  that  they  might 
escape,  or  that  their  prey  might  be  taken  from  them  by 
force.  With  the  latter  they  were,  in  fact,  threatened  a 
few  days  afterwards  by  the  Bay  of  Constantine,  who  de- 
manded that  the  prisoners  should  be  sent  him,  or  he 
would  come  in  person  with  his  army  to  fetch  them  away. 
The  Moors  replied  that  they  feared  neither  him  nor  his 
army,  even  were  it  united  to  that  of  Algiers.  These 
Moors  do  not  acknowledge  the  sovereignty  of  Algiers, 
though  surrounded  by  its  territory,  and  naturally  the  sub- 
jects of  that  power.  They  live  in  perfect  independence 
under  the  denomination  of  Cabail,  or  the  revolted ;  and 


20  TIMS    SHIPWRECK   OF 

the  mountains  of  Couco  serve  them  as  impregnable  ram- 
parts against  all  the  forces  of  Algiers. 

Such  was  the  state  of  these  victims  of  misfortune, 
overwhelmed  with  fatigue^  unable  to  obtain  repose,  tor- 
mented with  hunger,  and  consigned,  without  any  human 
assistance  into  the  hands  of  merciless  barbarians.  These 
ferocious  men  even  appeared  so  enraged  against  them, 
that  when  they  spoke  to  them  the  fire  flashed  from  their 
eyes,  and  the  white  which  is  so  perceptible  in  the  Negroes 
and  Moors,  could  not  be  distinguished.  The  maid  ser- 
vant and  the  footman  experienced  trials  equally  afflicting, 
and  were  still  deprived  of  the  consolation  of  seeing  their 
mistress,  or  hearing  any  tidings  of  her. 

But  even  these  accumulated  evils,  which  left  them 
without  any  other  comfort  than  y,  feat  they  derived  from 
religion,  were  insignificant,  in  comparison  with  the  horrid 
spectacle  which  was  soon  presented  to  their  eyes.  The 
Moors,  not  contented  with  having  in  their  possession  the 
five  persons  who  had  escaped  from  the  wreck,  endeav- 
ored to  recover  some  of  the  effects  swallowed  up  by 
the  sea,  and  which  they  conjectured  to  be  of  considera- 
ble value.  As  they  were  excellent  divers,  they  soon 
raised  the  bales  and  chests,  as  well  as  the  dead  bodies, 
from  the  bottom  of  the  sea.  They  took  with  them  the 
steward  and  the  footman,  to  assist  them  in  removing  what- 
ever they  might  save,  to  the  mountain.  After  dragging 
the  bodies  on  shore  they  stripped  them  for  the  sake  of 
the  clothes,  and  with  flints  cut  off  Madame  de  Bourk's 
fingers  to  get  her  rings,  fearing  lest  they  should  profane 
their  knives  if  they  came  in  contact  with  the  bodies  of 
Christians. 

What  a  spectacle  for  the  unfortunate  captives!  to  be- 
hold the  remains  of  persons  so  respectable  exposed  as  a 
prey  to  wild  beasts ;  and  what  was  a  thousand  times  more 
afflicting,  to  the  insults  of  the  Moors,  who  took  delight 
in  hearing  the  sound  produced  by  stones  thrown  on  their 
bodies,  swelled  with  the  sea  water.  The  steward  en- 
deavored to  represent  to  them,  as  well  as  his  consterna- 
tion would  permit  that  it  was  a  violation  of  humanity,  and 
that  they  ought  at  least  to  suffer  them  to  be  interred,  but 
they  replied  that  they  never  burled  dogs.  The  footman 
having  a  load  upon  his  back,  a  Moor  endeavored  to 


THE    COUNTESS    DE    BOURK.  21 

make  him  pass  by  the  bodies,  because  it  was  the  shortest 
way ;  but  he  was  unable  to  compel  him,  and  the  virtuous 
domestic,  penetrared  with  horror,  chose  rather  to  climb  a 
steep  rock  than  to  behold  these  melancholy  objects.  The 
steward,  upon  his  return  to  the  mountain,  durst  not  men- 
tion his  grief  to  Mademoiselle  de  Bourk,  but  concealed 
from  her  the  horrid  sight  which  he  had  witnessed. 

The  Moors  meanwhile  divided  the  booty ;  the  richest 
stuffs  were  cut  in  pieces  and  distributed  among  the  chil- 
dren to  decorate  their  heads ;  the  silver  plate  was  sold  t$ 
the  highest  bidder,  and  three  goblets,  each  of  which  was 
worth  at  least  twenty  pounds  sterling,  were  sold  in  a  lot 
for  less  than  five  shillings,  because,  being  tarnished  by  the 
sea-water,  the  Moors,  from  their  color,  supposed  them  to 
be  nothing  but  copper,  and  of  little  value.  With  respect 
to  the  books  which  they  found,  they  regarded  them  as 
useless  lumber,  and  were  easily  induced  to  resign  them 
to  the  steward  and  the  footman,  whom  they  compelled  to 
assist  them  in  removing  the  packages.  The  steward  like- 
wise saved  his  writing  desk,  which  proved  extremely  use- 
ful, as  we  shall  presently  see. 

During  the  three  weeks  that  they  remained  at  this 
place,  Mademoiselle  de  Bourk  took  advantage  of  the 
writing-desk,  and  a  few  leaves,  of  blank  paper  which  she 
found  at  the  beginning  and  end  of  the  books  brought  by 
the  steward,  to  write  three  letters  to  the  French  consul  at 
Algiers ;  but  none  of  them  was  received.  Three  weeks 
after  their  shipwreck  they  were  removed  into  the  midst 
of  the  lofty  mountains  of  Couco,  where  the  sheik,  com- 
manding these  barbarians,  apparently  resided.  They 
were  escorted  by  twelve  of  them,  armed  with  sabres, 
fusils,  arid  halberts.  They  obliged  the  abbe  and  the  stew- 
ard to  carry  the  young  lady  alternately  over  the  rugged 
mountains.  Accustomed  themselves  to  climb  those  pla- 
ces with  rapidity,  they  urged  them  on  with  blows  to  walk 
faster  than  they  were  able.  By  these  means  they  made 
a  long  days  journey ;  at  night  each  of  them  received  a 
piece  of  bread,  and  enjoyed  the  comfort  of  sleeping  upon 
boards  for  the  first  time. 

The  sheik  and  chiefs  of  the  Moors  held  a  consultation 
respecting  their  captives  ;  but  being  unable  to  agree  about 
the  division  of  them,  they  resolved  to  send  them  back  to 


22  THE    SHIPWRECK    OF 

the  place  whence  they  came.  Before  they  departed,  the 
steward  having  taking  a  little  straw  from  some  of  the 
beasts  near  the  spot,  for  his  young  mistress  to  lie  upon, 
the  master  of  the  hut  was  so  enraged  that  he  snatched  up 
an  axe,  obliged  him  to  lay  his  head  down  upon  a  block, 
and  was  about  to  strike  the  fatal  blow,  but  was  prevented 
by  a  Moor  who  accidentally  entered.  Three  or  four 
times  a  day,  according  to' their  barbarous  humor,  they 
came  and  seized  them  by  the  throat,  after  shutting  the 
door  of  the  hut  for  fear  of  being  interrupted,  and  with 
their  sabres  in  their  hands  threatened  them  with  instant 
destruction;  but  an  invisible  power  restrained  their  arms 
and  repressed  their  fury. 

As  they  were  still  detained,  notwithstanding  the  reso- 
lution that  had  been  taken  to  send  them  back  to  their 
first  master,  the  latter  accompanied  by  a  Turk  from  Bu- 
gie,  came  to  fetch  them ;  but  sixteen  armed  Moors,  of 
the  mountains,  compelled  him  to  resign  them.  The  bar- 
barian, disappointed  of  his  prey,  seized  the  young  lady 
and  drew  his  sabre  to  cut  off  her  head ;  but  the  Turk,  by 
his  remonstrances,  prevailed  upon  him  to  desist  from  his 
sanguinary  purpose.  At  length  they  were  permitted  to 
depart,  Those  who  escorted  them  on  their  return,  fired 
with  religious  zeal,  or  impelled  by  their  blood-thirsty  dis- 
position, were  ready  every  moment  to  sacrifice  their  ill- 
fated  victims.  On  one  occasion,  among  many  others, 
they  took  the  abbe  and  the  steward  behind  a  thick  bush 
to  sacrifice  them  to-  their  prophet ;  but  they  once  more 
escaped  from  this  imminent  danger. 

They  arrived  in  the  evening  at  the  village,  the  scene  of 
their  dreary  servitude.  Here  they  frequently  received 
only  the  raw  leaves  of  turnips  to  eat,  without  bread.  How- 
ever, the  friendship  which  the  children,  by  degrees,  con- 
ceived for  the  young  lady,  obtained  her  the  indulgence  of 
a  little  milk  with  her  bread. 

At  length  a  fourth  letter,  written  by  Mademoiselle  de 
Bourk  to  the  consul,  and  the  only  one  which  came  to  hand, 
arrived  at  Algiers  on  the  24th  of  November,  and  was  sent 
by  the  Dey  to  the  French  consul,  who  immediately  com- 
municated its  contents  to  M.  Desault.  The  unfortunate 
,  young  lady  there  related,  in  a  simple,  but  affecting  man- 
ner, that,  after  the  shipwreck  of  her  mother,  she  and  her 


THE    COUNTESS   BE     BOURK.  23 

snit  had  been  consigned  io  the  inest  frightful  and  abject 
slavery  ;  that  they  were  dying  of  hunger,  and  subjection 
to  every  kind  of  ill  treatment  that  could  be  inflicted  by 
the  enemies  of  religion  and  humanity ;  and  that  they 
were  devoured  by  vermin.  She  implored  him  instantly 
to  take  compassion  on  their  misery  arid  to  send  them  some 
relief,  till  he  was  able  to  procure  their^iberty,  of  which 
the  continual  menaces  of  the  barbarians  tended  to  deprive 
them  of  all  hope.  This  letter  deeply  affected  all  these 
who  read  it.  Every  one  made  an  offer  of  his  money  and 
his  services  to  M.  Desault,  who  did  not  want  much  en- 
treaty on  the  -subject,  being  intimately  acquainted  with 
the  family  of  Mademoiselle  de  Bourk.  He  instantly  gave 
orders  for  the  equipment  of  a  French  tartan  lying  in  the 
port,  purchased  clothes  and  provisions,  and  obtained  of 
the  Dey  a  letter  oi  recommendation  io  the  grand  mara- 
bout, or  high  priest  of  Bugie,  who  possesses  the  greatest 
authority  over  those  people.  He  likewise  wrote  to  the 
young  lady,  and  sent  her  several  presents.  On  the  eve- 
ning of  the  same  day  the  tartau  set  sail,  and  in  a  short 
time  arrived  at  Bugie. 

There,  Ibrahim  Aga,  the  national  interpreter,  sent  by  M. 
Desault,  in  the  tartan,  presented  the  Dey's  and  M.  De- 
sault's  letters  to  the  grand  .marabout.  Though  sick,  the 
latter  instantly  rose  from  his  bed,  mounted  his  horse,  with 
the  marabout  of  Gigery,  the  interpreter,  and  six  or  seven 
other  Moors,  and  proceeded  to  the  mountains,  which  were 
five  or  six  days  journey  from  Bugie.  Upon  their  arrival, 
the  Moors,  the  masters  of  the  captives,  having  descried 
the  company  at  a  dLstanc^,  shut  i!,rrn^eive>>  up  in  their 
hut,  to  the  number  of  ten  or  twelve,  with  drawn  sabres. 
The  marabouts  knocked  violently  at  the  door,  and  asked 
where  were  the  Christians.  They  received  for  answer, 
that  they  were  at  the  extremity  of  the  village  ;  but  a  Moor, 
who  was  wiiliin,  made  a  sign  that  they  were  in  (he  hut. 
The  company  immediately  alighted,  and  ordered  the  door 
to  be  opened.  The  Moors  then  fled,  and  the  marabouts 
entered. 

At  the  sight  of  them  the  slaves  conceived  that  their  last 
hour  wr»s  come  ;  but  their  apprehensions  were  soon  dis- 
pelled by  -be  grand  marabout,  who  went  up  to  Mademoi- 
seHe  de  Bourk  and  delivered  the  consul's  letters,  together 


24  THE    SHIPWRECK    OP 

with  the  provisions  he  had  sent  her.  He  and  all  his  suite 
passed  the  night  in  the  hut,  and  the  next  morning  lie  sent 
the  children  of  the  Piloors  in  quest  of  the  fugitives.  They 
came  in  compliance  with  his  orders,  and  kissed  his  hand, 
according  to  their  custom  ;  for  the  Moors  entertain  a  pro- 
found veneration  for  their  marabouts ;  they  fear  them 
more  than  any  other  power,  and  their  malediction  is  more 
formidable  than  all  the  menaces  of  Algiers ;  and  it  is  in 
the  name  of  the  marabout,  and  not  of  God,  that  the  poor 
ask  charity. 

The  grand  marabout  likewise  sent  for  the  governor  of 
the  mountains,  and  the  chiefs  of  the  huts  composing  the 
village.  When  they  had  assembled  in  that  where  he  was, 
he  informed  them  that  the  occasion  of  his  visit  was  the  re- 
lease of  live  French  subjects  wlio  had  escaped  from  ship- 
wreck ;  that  France  being  at  peace  with  the  kingdom  of 
Algiers,  they  ought  not,  contrary  to  the  faith  of  treaties, 
to  detain  these  people,  already  too  unfortunate  in  having 
lost  their  relatives  and  their  property,  without  depriving 
them  of  their  liberty  and  their  lives  ;  that  though  the 
mountain  Moors  were  not  subject  to  the  authority  of  Al- 
giers, yet  they  enjoyed  the  advantages  of  the  peace  with 
France  :  and  lastly,  that  they  would  be  guilty  of  great  in- 
justice if  they  did  not  release  them,  having  already  ob- 
tained a  rich  booty  from  the  wreck.  The  Moors,  though 
their  arguments  were  bad,  defended  themselves  as  well  as 
they  could. 

During  this  contest,  the  joy  which  had  animated  the 
wretched  captives  at  the  prospect  of  a  speedy  release 
from  4he  horrors  of  slavery  was  gradually  dispelled  :— 
gloomy  Inquietude  succeeded  the  ray  of.  hope  which  had 
dawned  upon  their  minds.  But  their  consternation  was 
extreme,  when  the  interpreter  told  them,  that  the  Moors, 
induced  by  the  authority  and  reasons  of  the  marabout, 
agreed  to  set  the  slaves  at  liberty,  upon  condition  that  the 
sheik,  or  marabout,  should  retain  the  young  lady  ;  saying 
that  he  intended  her  for  a  wife  for  his  son,  a  youth  about 
fourteen  ;  that  he  was  not  unworthy  of  her,  raid  that  if  she 
were  even  the  daughter  of  the  king  of  France,  his  son  was 
her  equal,  being  the  offspring  of  the  king  of  the  moun- 
tains. This  new  incident  appeared  r:iore  *  than 
ail  the  others,  and  their  captivity  seemed  le.(iS  dreadful 


THE    COUNTESS    DE    BOURK. 

than  the  necessity  of  leaving  their  mistress,  so  y ' 
and  without  any  kind  of  support,  in  the  hands  of  ihc  bar- 
barians. 

Notwithstanding  all  solicitations,  the  sheik  remained  in- 
flexible ;  but  at  length  the  marabout,  taking  him  aside,  put 
into  his  hand  a  few  sultans  of  gold,  with  the  promise  of 
more.  The  gold  instantly  rendered  him  more  tractable. 
He  agreed  to  release  all  the  captives  for  the  sum  of  nine 
hundred  piastres,  to  be  paid  immediately.  In  concluding 
this  bargain,  the  mountaineers  declared  to  the  deputies 
that  their  consent  was  the  effect  of  the  veneration  they 
entertained  for  their  marabouts,  and  did  not  originate  froiri 
any  fear  of  the  Dey  of  Algiers.  The  marabout  having 
left  a  Turk  as  an  hostage,  together  with  several  jewels  be- 
iondng  to  his  wives,  departed  with  the  five  slaves. 

They  proceeded  to  Bugie,  where  they  arrived  on  the 
9th  of  December,  embarked  the  following  day,  and  landed 
at  Algiers  on  the  13th,  at  day-break.  The  consul  weiir 
to  meet  them,  and  conduct  them  from  the  port  to  the  ain 
bassador's  hotel,  which  was  crowded  with  Christians, 
Turks,  and  even  Jews.  The  ambassador  received  the 
young  lady  at  tlic  entrance  into  the  court,  and  first  con- 
tlucted  her  to  his  chapel,  where  she  heard  mass,  and  thru 
Te  Dcum  was  sung  to  thank  the  Almighty  for  this  h :':•;»% 
deliverance. 

Scarcely  any  of  the  spectators  coukl  refrain  from  tears. 
Even  the  Turks  and  Jews  appeared  to  be  affected.  In- 
deed, this  young  lady,  not  quite  ten  years  of  age,  after  en- 
during the  hardships,  privations,  and  distresses  of  slavery, 
retained  a  certain  air  of  dignity  ;  her  manners  and  expres- 
sions announced  an  excellent  education,  and  manifested  a 
mind  superior  to  the  cruel  trials  to  which  she  had  been 
exposed.  The  persons  belonging  to  her  suite  declared 
'ie  had  always  been  the  first  to  encourage  them,  and 
had  frequently  exhorted  them  rather  to  suffer  death  than 
-to  betray  their  fidelity  to  their  Gocl. 

After  some  days  allowed  to  these  unfortunate  person*, 

and  Die  Moors,  by  whom  they  were  attended,  to  recri'H 

themselves,  the  nine  hundred  piastres  agreed  to  be  paid, 

ransom  of  Mademoiselle  de  Boiirk,  and  the  per- 

f  her  suite,  were  delivered  to  the  deputy  cf  the 

1  marabout.     M.  Desault  likewise  added  some  pre- 

C 


28  THE    SIttPWRECK    OF,  &C. 

sents  for  the  marabout  himself,  and  the  other  officers  who 
had  been  concerned  in  the  negociation. 

On  the  3d  Jan.  1720,  Mademoiselle  de  Bourk,  accom- 
panied by  her  uncle  and  female  attendant,  embarked  in 
M.  Desault's  ship,  and  after  a  few  ordinary  accidents  ar- 
rived at  Marseilles  on  the  20th  of  March.  Her  uncle, 
the  Marquis  de  Varenue,  came  to  receive  her  from  the 
hands  of  M.  Desault. 

Mademoiselle  de  Bourk  remained  several  years  in  the 
bosom  of  her  family,  till  her  marriage  with  the  Marquis 

de  T .  She  passed  her  life  agreeably  with  him,  and 

lias  not  been  dead  many  years.  Her  children,  prior  to 
the  revolution,  held  a  (iistinguishedrajik  in  Province. 


NARRATIVE  OF  THE  LOS3  OF 

THE  AMERICAN   SHIP  HERCULE^ 

CAPTAIN  BENJAMIN  STOUT  J 

(hi  the  Coast  of  Cajfraria,  the,  IMh  of  June,  1796. 

JL  HE  account  of  the  fate  of  the  American  ship 
Hercules,  (and  of  the  adventures  and  sufTe rings  of  her 
crew,)  which  set  out  on  her  voyage  from  Bengal  in  the 
month  of  December,  1795,  involves  so  much  interest,  as 
cannot  fail  to  prove  extremely  entertaining ;  nor  can  it  be 
better  detailed  than  from  the  account  given  by  the  com* 
mander,  Captain  Benjamin  Stout;  whose  intention  it  was, 
to  take  in  a  private  freight  for  Hamburgh,  but  not  finding 
one  that  would  answer  his  expectations,  he  charier-;- 
ship  to  the  British  East  India  Company,  who  were  at  thai; 
time  busily  employed  in  shipping  rice  for  England.  In- 
telligence having  reached  the  settlements  in  India,  that  a 
failure  of  corn  throughout  the  whole  of  Great-Britain  was 
likely  to  produce  a  IV.mine,  the  most  active  aud  laudable 
ions  were  made  in  India  to  supply  the  markets  at 
home  with  rice ;  and  he  received  on  board  upwards  of 
nine  thousand  bags,  with  directions  to  proceed  to  London 
with  every  possible  despatch.  The  CYevr  most  of  which 
having  been  engaged  in  India,  consisted  of  Americans, 
Danes,  Swedes,-  Dutch,  Portuguese,  but  chiefly  Lasfars, 
amounting  in  the  whole,  men  and  boys,  to  about  e  < 
four.  The  necessary  arrangement  for  the  voyage  being 
completed,  they  sailed  from  Sugar-Roads  on  the  17th  oY 
March,  1796. 

Nothing  material  occurred  during  the  voyage  until  the 
1st  of  June  following,  at  which  time  they  reached  the 
latitude  of  about  35  south,  and  28,  10  east  longitude 


28  LOSS  OF 

Mien  began  to  blow  a  gale  from  the  westward,  which 
obliged  (hem  to  lay  to  under  their  rnizen  stay  sail  for  six 
days.  During  this  time  the  gale  continued  to  blow  from 
I Jie  west,  but  increased  progressively  until  the  7th,  when 
the  contentions  of  the  sea  and  winds  presented  a  scene  of 
horror,  of  \\hieh,  perhaps  the  annals  of  marine  history 
dvcs  us  no  example.  iC  Although  bred  to  the  sea,  (says 
Captain  Stout,)  from  my  earliest  life,  yet  all  I  had  ever 
eeen  before,  all  I  hdd  ever  heard  of  or  read,  gave  me  no 
adequate  idea  of  those  sublime  effects  which  the  violence 
f;ad  raging  of  the  elements  produce,  and  which,  at  this 
tremendous  hour,  seemed  to  threaten  nature  itself  with 
dissolution."  The  ship  raised  on  mountains  of  water, 
vras  in  a  moment  precipitated  into  an  abyss,  where  she 
appeared  to  wait  until  the  coming  sea  raised  her  again 
into  the  clouds.  The  perpetual  roaring  of  the  elements 
echoing  through  the  void,  produced  such  an  awful  sen- 
sation in  the  minds  of  the  most  experienced  of  the  sea- 
men, that  several  of  them  appeared  for  some  time  in  a 
state  of  Stupefaction ;  and  those  less  accustomed  to  the 
dangers  of  the  sea  added  to  this  scene  of  misery  by  their 
shriekings  and  exclamations. 

The  terrors  of  the  day  could  only  be  surpassed  by  those 
of  the  night.  When  the  darkness  came  on,  it  is  impos- 
sible for  man  to  describe,  or  human  imagination  to  con- 
ceive, a  scene  of  more  transcendant  and  complicated 
horror.  To  fill  up  the  measure  of  their  calamities,  about 
the  hour  of  midnight  a  sudden  shift  of  wind  threw  the 
ship  into  the  trough  of  the  sea,  which  struck  her  aft, 
tore  away  the  rudder,  started  the  stern  post  from  the  hau- 
den  ends,  and  shattered  the  whole  of  her  stern  frame. 
The  pumps  were  immediately  sounded,  and  in  the  course 
of  a  few  minutes  the  water  had  increased  to  four  feet.  A 
gang  was  immediately  ordered  to  the  pumps,  and  the  re- 
mainder were  employed  in  getting  up  rice  out  of  the  run 
of  the  ship,  and  heaving  it  overboard,  in  order,  if  possi- 
ble, to  get  at  the  leak.  After  three  or  four  hundred  bags 
were  thrown  into  the  sea,  the  principal  leak  was  discov- 
ered, and  the  water  poured  in  with  astonishing  rapidity. 
In  order,  therefore,  to  decrease  as  much  as  possible  the 
influx  of  water,  sheets,  shirts,  jackets,  bales  of  muslin, 
and  every  thing  of  the  like  description  were  thrust  iuto 


THE    HERCULES.  29 

the  aperture.  Had  not  these  exertions  been  attended 
with  some  success,  the  ship  must  certainly  have  gone 
down,  although  the  pumps  delivered  fifty  tons  of  -water 
an  hour. 

As  the  next  day  advanced,  the  weather  began  to  mod- 
erate. The  men  worked  incessently  at  the  pumps,  and 
every  exertion  was  made  to  keep  the  ship  afloat.  They 
were  at  this  time  about  two  hundred  miles  from  the  cast- 
em  coast  of  Africa. 

On  the  9th,  although  the  violence  of  the  tempest  had 
in  a  great  measure  subsided,  yet  the  swell  of  the  sea  was 
tremendous.  The  long-boat  was  ordered  out ;  but  the 
captain  having  reason  to  suspect  that  some  of  the  crew 
would  endeavor  to  make  off  with  her,  he  directed  the 
second  mate  and  three  seamen  to  take  possession  of  her ; 
at  the  same  time  giving  them  arms  and  express  orders  to 
shoot  the  first  man  who  attempted  to  board  her  without 
his  permission.  They  were  also  instructed  to  keep 
astern,  but  to  stick  by  the  ship  until  they  came  to  au  an- 
chor! 

The  men  having  taken  their  station  in  the  boat,  a  raft 
was  ordered  to  be  made  of  all  the  large  spars,  which 
was  accordingly  done.  The  whole  when  lashed  together 
measured  about  35  feet  in  length,  and  15  in  breadth. 
At  this  time  the  captain  apprehended  the  ship  could  not 
make  the  land,  and  being  convinced,  in  case  of  her  going 
down,  that  all  the  people  could  not  be  received  into  the 
long-boat,  determined  not  to  neglect  any  measure  that 
presented  even  a  chance  of  saving  the  whole. 

When  the  second  mate  was  preparing  to  obey  the  or- 
ders he  had  received,  and  take  command  of  the  long- 
boat, the  carpenter  addressed  the  captain  in  a  respectful 
manner,  and  earnestly  intreated  him  to  leave  the  ship. 
On  being  reprimanded  for  not  attending  to  the  pumps, 
the  man  burst  into  tears,  and  declared,  that  the  whole 
of  the  stern  frame  was  shook  and  loosened  in  such  a 
manner,  that  he  expected  every  minute  she  would  ge 
down.  The  miserable  appearance  of  this  man,  and  the 
affecting  tone  of  voice  in  which  he  delivered  his  appre- 
hensions, considerably  increased  the  terrors  of  the  crew ; 
whereupon  the  captain  thought  it  necessary  to  declare 
that  he  would  perform  his  duty  and  stick- to  the  ship  until 
C  2 


30  LOSS   OF 

'he  was  convinced  from  his  own  observation  that  all 
hopes  of  saving  her  was  at  an  end.  The  carpenter  re- 
peated his  solicitations,  when  he  was  ordered  to  his  post, 
and  assured,  at  the  same  time,  that  unless  he  made 
every  exertion  to  encourage  the  people  in  their  duty  at 
the  pumps,  he  should  be  immediately  thrown  into  the 
sea.  He  retired,  and  exerted  himself  afterwards  with  a 
manly  perseverance. 

The  captain  was  immediately  addressed  on  the  depar- 
ture of  the  carpenter  by  many  of  the  sailors,  and  on  the 
same  subject.  They  were  so  clamorous,  and  diffused 
so  much  in  their  opinions,  that  he  was  nearly  going  to  ex- 
tremes with  some  of  them. 

These  circumstances  are  mentioned  as  a  caution  to 
future  navigators,  who  are  entrusted  with  a  com- 
mand. They  too  frequently  listen  to  the  opinion  of 
their  people  in  time  of  danger,  who  are  generally  for  quit- 
ting the  ship,  and  taking  to  boats,  masts,  yards  and  spars 
formed  into  rafts,  or  whatever  timbers  they  can  lash  to- 
gether ;  indeed,  as  the  prejudices  and  sentiments  o:  the 
common  sailors  on  these  occasions  are  so  various,  it  is 
not  to  be  supposed  that  any  thing  can  arise,  from  such  a 
mistaken  conduct,  but  confusion  and  misfortune. 

A  crew,  such  as  composed  that  of  the  Hercules,  which 
consisted  of  people  of  various  nations,  reqnire  indeed 
from  their  commander  a  peculiar  attention.  It  may  hap- 
pen, that  by  humoring  their  religious  prejudices  at  a  par- 
ticular xnoment,  an  essential  service  may  be  obtained ; 
and  the  following  remarkable  anecdote  will  tend  to  elu- 
cidate this  opinion. 

At  a  period  when  the  tempest  raged  with  the  utmost 
violence,  the  captain  directed  most  of  the  crew  below, 
particularly  the  lascars,  to  work  the  pumps.  One  of 
them,  however,  was  perceived  coming  up  the  gang-way, 
with  a  handkerchief  in  his  hand  ;  and  on  being  question- 
ed what  he  was  about,  he  answered  in  a  tone  of  voice 
that  discovered  a  perfect  confidence  in  the  measure  he 
proposed,  that  he  was  going  to  make  an  offering  to  his 
God.  "This  handkerchief,"  said  he,  "contains  a  cer- 
tain quantity  of  rice,  and  all  the  rupees  I  am  worth ;  suf- 
fer me  to  lash  it  to  the  mizen-top,  and  rely  upon  it,  Sir, 
we  shall  all  be  saved."  The  captaia  was  going  to  order 


THE    HERCULES.     .  SI 

him  back  to  the  pumps,  but  recollecting  that  in  so  doing 
he  might  throw  both  him  and  his  countrymen  into  a  state 
of  despondency,  and  thereby  lose  the  benefits  of  their  ex- 
ertions, he  acquiesced.  The  lascar  thanked  him,  and  he- 
soon  beheld  the  child  of  prejudice  mount  the  tottering 
ladder  without  discovering  a  single  apprehension.  He 
lashed  the  haukerchief  to  the  mizen  top  mast  head, 
fearless  of  all  danger,  and  arrived  in  safety  on  the  deck. 
Confident  now  that  his  God  was  the  Captain's  friend,  he 
went  below  to  inform  his  brethren  that  he  had  done  his 
duty ;  all  the  lascars  seemed  transported  with  joy,  em- 
braced their  virtuous  companion,  and  then  labored  at 
the  pumps  with  as  much  alacrity  and  perseverance,  as  if 
they  had  encountered,  before,  neither  apprehension  nor 
fatigue.  To  their  unceasing  labors,  was  owing  in  a 
great  measure,  the  preservation  of  his  people. 

The  shift  of  wind  which  threw  the  ship  into  the  trough 
of  the  sea  and  tore  away  the  rudder,  was  fortunately  a 
squall  of  but  short  duration,  not  continuing  above  a  quar- 
ter of  an  hour.  Had  it  lasted  but  a  little  longer,  the  ship 
must  have  been  torn  to  pieces.  The  wind  come  round 
to  its  former  quarter,  and  moderated  gradually. 

After  the  long  boat  had  been  delivered  to  the  care  of 
the  second  mate,  and  the  raft  completed,  the  captain  held 
a  consultation  with  the  officers,  and  they  were  ail  deci- 
dedly of  opinion,  that  it  was  impossible  to  save  the  ship, 
and  that  they  had  no  other  chance  to  preserve  their  lives, 
than  to  make  the  land  and  run  her  on  shore. 

The  people,  when  informed  of  the  issue  of  this  con- 
sultation, appeared  to  work  with  renovated  spirits.  This 
disposition  was  kept  up  by  being  assured  they  would 
soon  be  within  sia;ht  of  land,  and  that  by  constantly  work- 
ing at  the  pumps,  the  ship  would  be  kept  afloat,  until 
they  reached  the  shore. 

She  remained  for  some  time  unmanageable,  frequent- 
ly standing  with  her  head  from  the  land,  which  all  their 
efforts  could  not  prevent,  the  captain  got  a  rudder  made 
out  of  the  topmast,  and  fixed  in  the  place  of  the  one  they 
had  lost ;  but  it  was  found  of  little  use  without  the  help 
of  the  long-boat,  which  he  ordered  therefore  to  be  hauled 
athwart  her  stern,  and  this  served,  although  with  the 
greatest  difficulty,  to  get  her  head  towards  the  shore,  the 


32  LOSS  OP 

wind  being  variable  from  the  eastward.  A  cable  could 
have  been  got  out,  that  might  have  answered  tolerably 
well  to  steer  the  ship ;  but  the  people  could  not  be  spared 
ironi  the  pumps  to  attend  roussing  in  on  the  tacles,  or 
guise,  as  occasion  might  require. 

On  the  evening,  however,  of  the  15th  they  discovered 
land  at  about  six  leagues  distance.  All  on  board  at  this 
moment  expressed  their  joy  in  shouts  and  acclamations. 
The  ship  still  kept  Hearing  the  shore,  with  five  feet  water 
in  her  hold. 

On  the  16th  in  the  morning,  being  then  about  two  miles 
from  the  land,  and  the  wind  from  the  westward,  the  cap- 
tain ordered  the  anchor  to  be  let  go,  that  a  last  effort 
might  be  made  to  stop  the  leaks,  and,  if  possible,  save 
the  ship.  But  her  stern  was  shattered  in  such  a  manner, 
that  after  holding  another  consultation  with  his  officers,  it 
was  finally  resolved  to  run  the  ship  on  the  coast  then  op- 
posite to  them.  Another  gale  threatened  them,  and  no 
time  was  to  be  lost. 

The  captain  immediately  ordered  his  second  mate,  who 
was  in  the  boat,  to  come  on  board,  and  he  then  delivered 
into  his  cutody  the  ship's  register,  and  all  the  papers  of 
consequence  he  had.  After  providing  him  and  his  three 
men  with  water  and  provisions,  he  ordered  him  into  the 
boat  again,  with  directions  to  keep  in  the  offing ;  and  that 
after  they  had  run  the  ship  on  shore,  provided  they  got 
safe  to  land,  he  would  search  for  some  inlet  into  which 
he  might  run  with  safety.  They  desired  him  also  to  look 
out  for  signals  which  would  be  occasionally  thrown  out 
from  the  shore  to  direct  his  course.  The  mate  faithfully 
promised- to  obey  his  instructions,  and  then  returned  to 
his  boat. 

They  were  now  on  the  coast  of  Gaffraria,  within  a  few 
leagues  where  the  Infanta  river  empties  itself  into  the  sea. 
A  dreadful  crisis  approached,  and  they  agreed  to  meet  it 
with  becoming  fortitude.  The  captain  therefore  gave  di- 
rections to  set  the  head  sail,  to  heave  the  spring  well 
taught,  in  order  to  get  her  head  towards  the  shore,  and 
then  to  cut  the  cable  and  the  spring.  His  orders  were 
obeyed  with  the  greatest  promptitude. 

After  running  until  within  something  less  than  half  a 
mile  of  the  shore,  she  stuck  on  a  clustre  of  rocks,  The 


THE    HERCULES.  S3 

swell  at  this  moment  was  tremendous ;  and  from  the 
ship's  thumping;  so  violently,  it  was  scarcely  possible  for 
the  men  to  hold  on.  In  this  situation  she  remained  for 
about  three  or  four  minutes,  when  a  sea  took  her  over  the 
rocks,  and  earned  her  about  a  cable's  length  nearer  the 
diore,  where  she  again  struck,  and  kept  heaving  in  with 
a  dreadful  surf,  which  every  moment  made  a  breach  over 
her. 

The  lashings  that  held  the  raft  having  given  way,  and 
the  spars  carried  to  a  considerable  distance  from  the  ship, 
they  lost  all  hope  from  that  quarter.  At  length  one  of 
the  crew,  who  was  a  black,  plunged  into  the  waves,  and, 
by  exertions  which  seemed  more  than  human,  gained  and 
seated  himself  on  the  raft.  He  scarcely  remained  in  that 
situation  for  ten  minutes,  when  the  whole  was  turned  over 
and  the  man  completely  enveloped  in  the  sea.  In  a  few 
moments  however,  they  perceived  him  in  his  former  seat. 
Again  he  endured  a  similar  misfortune ;  and  a  third  suc- 
ceeded. Still  he  buffetted  the  waves,  and  gained  the  raft, 
until  at  length,  after  suffering  two  hours  of  fatigue,  which, 
until  then,  the  Captain  could  not  possibly  imagine  human 
nature  could  survive,  he  drifted  on  land. 

The  natives  who  had  kindled  several  fires,  appeared  in 
great  numbers' on  the  shore.  They  were  mostly  clothed 
in  skins,  armed  with  spears,  and  accompanied  by  a  vast 
number  of  dogs.  A  party  of  them  seized  the  man  who 
had  landed,  and  conducted  him  behind  the  sand  hills  that 
line  the  coast,  and  which  hid  him  entirely  from  their  view. 

Twelve  of  the  crew  now  launched  themselves  on 
different  spars,  and  whatever  pieces  of  timber  they  could 
nYid.  They  bravtd  all  difficulties  and  at  last  gained  the 
laud.  No  sooner  had  they  reached  the  beach  than  the 
natives  cam«;  down,  seized  and  conducted  them  also  be- 
hind the  sand-hills.  As  it  was  impossible  for  them  who 
remained  on  board,  to  discover  what  they  were  about, 
and  observing  several  parties  of  the  natives  appear  at  dif- 
ferent times  on  the  shore,  but  not  accompanied  by  any  of 
the  people,  they  conceived  all  those  who  had  landed  were 
ma  sacred,  and  that  a  similar  fate  awaited  the  whole  cf 
them.  They  who  had  remained  on  board  the  ship  were 
obliged  to  shelter  themselves  in  the  forecastle,  as  the 
wreck,  becoming  a  fixed  object,  the  sea  made  over  her, 


34  LOSS  OF 

and  there  was  no  other  part,  where  they  could 
even  for  a  moment,  in  a  state  of  security. 

Suspense  and  apprehension  reigned  during  the  whole 
of  the  night.  Some  were  of  opinion,  that  to  avoid  being 
tortured  by  the  savages,  perhaps  thrown  into  the  fires 
they  had  perceived  on  shore,  it  would  be  more  advisable 
to  resign  themselves  to  a  watry  element,  as  in  that  situa- 
tion they  should  only  endure  a  few  struggles,  and  then 
life  would  be  no  more.  Others  entertained  different  sen- 
timents, and  were  for  making  the  shore  in  as  compact  a 
body  as  possible.  "  We  shall  then,"  said  they  "  attack 
the  savages  with  stones,  or  whatever  we  can  find."  This 
was  over-ruled  as  a  measure  impracticable;  there  was  no 
possibility  of  six  men  keeping  together ;  but  if  such  a 
number  conld,  by  a  miracle,  get  on  shore  without  being 
divided,  the  natives  could  destroy  them  in  a  moment  with 
their  spears.  The  whole  of  this  miserable  night  was 
spent  in  suci>  consultations ;  and  as  the  next  sun  was  to 
light  them  to  their  fate,  they  trembled  at  its  approaching 
the  horizon. 

As  soon  as  morning  appeared,  they  looked  towards  the 
shore ;  but  not  an  individual  was  to  be  seen.  Distrac- 
tion was  now  visible  in  every  countenance,  and  what 
death  to  choose,  the  principal  consideration.  At  length 
aliout  the  hour  of  nine,  the  scene  changed  in  a  moment. 
A  delirium  of  extasy  succeeded,  which  no  pencil  can 
portray,  no  being  can  conceive,  but  those  who  beheld  it. 
All  the  people  who  had  landed  the  day  before,  were  ob- 
served making  towards  the  shore ;  and  they  soon  per- 
ceived them  beckoning  and  inviting  them  to  land.  In  a 
few  minutes,  every  spar,  grating,  and  piece  of  timber 
that  could  be  procured,  were  afloat,  and  completely  oc- 
cupied; some  with-  two  people,  others  with  more,  ac- 
cording to  the  size.  "  I  immediately:  (pays  the  captain) 
stript  off  my  shirt,  put  on  a  short  jacket,  wrapt  a  shawl 
round  my  waist,  in  the  corner  of  which  I  put  a  gold 
watch,  and  keeping  my  breeches  on,  seized  a  spar,  and 
launched  into  the  sea.  For  nearly  three  quarters  of  an 
ttbur  I  preserved  my  hold,  and  drifted  towards  the  shore. 
Sometimes  I  was  cast  so  near,  as  to  touch  the  rocks  with 
jny  feet,  then  hurried  away  to  a  considerable  distance ; 
again  I  was  precipitated  forward,  and  in  a  moment  after- 


THE   EERC17LE6,  35 

Awards  carried  off  by  the  returning  sea.  At  length  a  sud- 
den jerk,  occasioned  by  the  swell,  strained  both  my  arms, 
and  I  was  compelled  to  quit  the  spar.  At  this  instant,  al- 
fiiough  a  considerable  distance  from  the  beach,  a  wave 
that  was  proceeding  rapidly  towards  the  shore,  bore  me 
along,  and  in  a  few  moments  cast  me  senseless  on  the 
sand.  BIy  people  who  were  on  shore,  observed  my  sit- 
uation ;  they  ran  down,  and  snatching  me  from  the  dan- 
ger of  the  coming  waves,  bore  me  to  a  place  of  security. 
Z  was  insensible  at  this  time,  but  soon  revived,  as  they  pla- 
ced me  near  a  fire,  and  used  every  means  in  their  power 
for  my  recovery.  The  first  subject  of  inquiry,  when  my 
faculties  returned,  was,  of  coujjga^the  fate  of  my  unfortu- 
nate crew;  and  I  enjoyed  Hie  heartfelt  pleasure  of  be- 
holding them  all  around  me,  except  them  in  the  long-boat 
and  one  man,  who  perished  near  the  shore.  I  then  ad- 
dressed myself  to  the  natives  ;  but  on  this  occasion  I  la- 
bored under  the  difficulty  of  not  being  understood.  I 
knew  nothing  of  their  language,  and  for  some  time  I  en- 
deavored to  explain  myself  by  signs.  Fortunately 
there  was  a  Hottentot  present,  who  had  lived  with  the 
Dutch  farmers,  and  could  speak .  their  language.  My 
third  mate  was  a  Dutchman,  and  these  served  as  inter- 
preters. 

"  This  difficulty  being  happily  removed,  I  endeavored 
by  every  means  in. my  power  to  secure  the  friendship  of 
the  natives.  I  thanked  them  in  the  name  of  my  whole 
crew,  and  on  the  part  of  my  nation,  for  the  liberal  and 
humane  assistance  they  had  afforded  us  in  the  hour  of  our 
misfortune,  and  solicited  tlitiir  future  kindness  and  sup- 
port. 

"  This  being,  as  I  conceived,  at  no  great  distance  from 
the  spot  where  the  Grosvenor  was  lost  in  17S2,  I  inquired 
of  the  natives  whether  any  of  them  remembered  such  a 
catastrophe.  Most  of  them  answered  in  the  affirmative, 
and,  ascending  one  of  the  sand-hills,  pointed  to  the  place 
where  the  Grosvenor  suffered. 

"  I  then  desired  to  know  of  them,  whether  they  Hd 
received  any  certain  accounts  respecting  the  fate  of  Cap- 
tain Coxson,  who  commanded  the  Grosvenor,  and  who 
was  proceeding  on  his  way  to  the  Cape,  with  several  men 
and  women  passengers,  who  were  saved  from  the  wreck. 


S  LOSS    OF 

They  answered,  that  Captain  Coxson  and  his  men  were 
slain.  One  of  the  chiefs  having  insisted  on  taking  tvyo  of 
the  white  ladies  to  his  kraal,  the  captain  and  people  re- 
sisted, and  not  being  armed,  were  immediately  destroyed. 
The  natives,  at  the  same  time,  gave  me  to  understand, 
that  at  the  period  when  the  Grosvenor  was  wrecked,  their 
nation  was  at  war  with  the  colonists  ;  and  as  the  captain 
and  his  crew  were  whites,  they  could  not  tell,  provided 
they  had  reached  the  Christian  farms,  but  they  would  as- 
sist the  colonies  in  the  war.  This  affected  my  situation 
so  directly,  that  I  desired  to  know  on  what  terms  the  Caf- « 
frees  and  thd^jflfaj^stjien  stood.  "  We  are  friends," 
said  they,  "  ancrTroH^Jta|^ir  fault  if  we  are  not  always 

"This  answer  relieved  me  from  a  v^ry  -serious  embar- 
rassment; but  the  fate  of  th6  two  unfortunate  J^^^ave 
me  so  much  uneasiness,  that  J  most  earnestly  reqile^BUN 
of  them  to  tell  me  all  they  knew  of  their  situation ;  whether  ' 
they  were  alive  or  dead  ;  and  if  living,  in  what  part  of  the 
country  tliey  wer,e  situated.     TlieV  replied,  and  with  gsp< 
parent  concern,  that  one  of  the  ladies  hatTdied  a  short 
time  after  her  arrival ,  at  the  kraal ;  but  they  understood 
the  other  was  living,  and  had  several  children  by  the  chief. 
"  Where  she  now  is,"  said  they,  "  w^e  know 'not." 

"  After  I  had  received  every  possible  information  on 
this  melancholy  subject,  we  employed  ourselves  princi- 
pally during  the  remainder  of  the  day  in  assisting  the  na- 
tives to  save  whatever  came  on  shore  from  the  wreck. 
When  they  got  a  piece  of  timber,  they  placed  it  immedi- 
ately on  the  fire,  as  the  readiest  method  of  procuring  the 
iron,  which  they  sought  after  with  the  most  persevering 
diligence." 

When  night  came  on,  the  natives  retired,  and  they  left 
us  to  sleep  under  the  sand-hills,  without  covering,  and 
without  food.  The  weather  was  boisterous,  and  a  strong 
wind  from  the  westward,  and  the  cold  severe  :  a  consul- 
tation was  held  in  what  manner  they  should  dispose  of 
themselves  until  the  morning,  and  they  at  length  resolved 
that  some  of  them  should  keep  watch  .during  the  night, 
and  the  rest  place  therm- • 
fele,  obtain -a  little  : 


TEE    HERCULES. 

The  night  passed  without  any  of  the  unfortunate  sniff- 
ers enjoying  a  moment  of  repose.  Their  bodies  oa  one 
side  were  heated  by  the  fire,  but  the  cold  chilled  the 
other  in  such  a  manner,  as  to  render  the  pain  hardly  sup- 
portable. The  sand,  driven  by  the  winds  in  prodigious 
quantities,  filled  their  eyes,  ears,  and  mouths,  as  they  lay 
under  the  banks,  and  kept  them  in  perpetual  motion. 
They  likewise  entertained  apprehensions  respecting  the 
natives. 

At  length  day  appeared,  and  the  Caffrees  returned  in 
great  numbers.     The  chief  knowing  they  were  in  want  of 
food,  brought  a  bullock,  which  thev  immediately  slaugh- 
tered by  knocking  the  aniin^^Mphea^l-with  clubs,  and 
penetrating  its  sides  wiU^W^^Jears."    It  vsas  skinned 
almost  in  a  n\pmeflf,  and  they  cut  it  up  in  lumps,  which 
the^r^jjd^on  the  fire  to  singe,  rather  than  to  roast,  and 
^tf^tTevoured  their  respective  shares  with  the  highest  sa- 
tisfaction.    The  beast,  as  it  was  given  to. the  famished 
crew,  it  might  be  supposed,  would  be  left  for  their  own 
disposal ;  but  the  Caffrees  were  hungry,  and  they  !• 
nothing  of  European  etiquette.     It  is  time,  they  presented 
the  bullock  to  them  as  a  donation  ;  but  they  saw  IM 
>  son  why  they  should  not  dispose  of  the  greater  part  of  if. 

On  cutting  up  the  animal,  it  was  observed  t 
more  than  ordinary  attention  to  the  paunch.     Srvrral  of 
the  Caffrees  laid  violent  hands  on  it . ;  and  after  zriving  it  a 
shake  for  the  purpose  of  emptying  the  con' 
the  greater  part  in  slits  with  their  teeth,  and  swallow* 
whole  as  it  came  warm  from  the- beast. 

Their  meal,  such  as  it  was,  being  finished,  part  of  the 
orew  proceeded  to  the  shore,  and  the  long-boat  wr- 

d  at  a  considerable  distance.  The  ship  was  dividing 
last,  and  the  gale  mcrea-sins; ;  many  thimrs  were  thert- 
••ast  on  shore,  which  the  Caffrees  wer-  \:able 

in  procuring.     A  cask,  however,  was  thrown  on  the  beach, 
which  considerably  excited  the  captain's  anxiety  :  it  con 
tained  sixty  gallons  of  rum,  a  quantity  sufficient  to  ha*  > 
intoxicated  the  whole  of  the  natives,  although  they  a  in  -  i 
eel ^ to  at  least  300.     The  predilection  for  such  liq;r 
well  known,  and  the  consequences  of  their  intoxir. 
was  particularly  dreaded  by  the  captain.     The  oi 
left  was  to  steal  to  the  spot  where  the  cask  lay,  ai 


38  X.08S    OF 

in  the  head  without  being  perceived  by  them.  This  was 
happily  accomplished,  and  they  afterwards  stripped  the 
vessel  of  the  iron  hoops,  without  discovering  what  had 
been  done,  or  what  it  formerly  contained. 

In  the  general  search  on  the  shore,  one  of  the  Cafifrees 
had  picked  up  the  ship's  compass.  Not  knowing  what 
jt  was,  yet  pleased  with  its  formation,  he  delivered  it  to 
the  chief,  who  immediately  took  it  to  pieces ;  and  after 
camtemplating  the  various  parts,  took  the  copper  ring  in 
which  it  hung,  and  suspended  it  from  his  neck.  He  ap- 
peared highly  pleased  with  the  ornament ;  and  this  cir- 
cumstance induced  the  captain  to  present  him  with  one 
still  more  glittering,  and  of  course,  in  his  estimation, 
more  valuable ;  recollecting  that  he  had  in  his  possession 
a  pair  of  paste  knee-buckles,  he  presented  ihem  to  the 
chief,  and  hung  one  upon  each  of  his  ears. 

The  moment  this  was  done,  the  chief  stalked  about 
with  an  air  of  uncommon  dignity.  His  people  seemed 
to  pay  him  greater  reverence  than  before,  and  they  were 
employed  for  some  time  in  gazing  at  the  brilliancy  of  the 
ornaments,  and  contemplating  the  .august  deportment  of 
their  chief  magistrate. 

Towards  evening  the  captain  again  addressed  the  chief 
on  the  subject  of  their  departure.  He  requested  lie 
would  semi  a  guide  with  them  through  the  deserts  to  the 
iirst  Christian  settlement,  and  that  nothing  should  be 
wanting  on  his  part  to  recompense  his  kindness.  The 
Caffree  paused  for  a  moment,  and  then  very  coolly  re- 
replied,  that  he  -would  gratify  the  captain's  wishes ;  and 
being  desired  to  name  the  time  when  he  would  suffer 
them  to  depart ;  he  gravely  answered,  "  When  I  consid- 
er that  matter  you  shall  be  made  acquainted  with  my  de- 
termination/' These  answers  alarmed  the  unfortunate 
sufferers.  The  countenance  of  the  savage  appeared  to 
discover  some  hostile  measure  that  was  lurking  in  his 
mind ;  and  yet  his  former  conduct  was  so  liberal  and  liw- 
inane,  that  they  had  no  just  grounds  for  suspecting  his  in- 
tegrity. The  natives,  however,  were  perceived  consult- 
ing together  in  parties,  and  from  their  gestures  nothing 
favorable  could  be  perceived.  When  the  day  was 
drawing;  to  a  close,  the  crew  was  left  to  rest  under  the 
sand-bills,  as  on  the  former  night. 


THE    HEfcCtTLES. 

The  fire  was  recruited  with  some  timber  from  the 
wreck,  and  sentinels  placed  as  before.  The  wind  blow- 
ing hard  from  the  same  quarter,  they  were  again  tor- 
mented with  clouds  of  sand,  and  a  chilling  atmosphere. 
June  being  one  of  the  winter  months,  they  had  to  en- 
counter the  severities  of  the  season.  It  was  impossible 
to  shift  their  quarters,  as  they  could  not  procure  timber  to 
light  new  fires,  and  the  Caffrees  might  be  displeased  at 
their  not  remaining  in  their  former  situation.  The  night 
passed  in  consultations  and  gloomy  predictions.  The 
captain  told  his  people  not  to  do  any  thing  that 
might  have  the  least  tendency  to  displease  the  natives ; 
to  give  them  every  thing  they  asked  for,  as  the  inhabi- 
tants of  these  deserts  were  only  to  be  dreaded  when 
provoked.  But,  at  the  same  time,  if  contrary  to  their 
expectation  they  made  an  attack,  or  endeavored  to  de- 
tain them  after  a  certain  time,  then  he  hoped  they  would 
firmly  unite,  and  either  force  their  way  or  perish  in  the 
conflict. 

When  the  sun  made  its  appearance,  they  mounted  the 
most  elevated  of  the  sand-sills  to  look  out  for  the  long- 
boat; but  she  was  not  to  be  discovered  in  any  direction. 
In  a  short  time  they  perceived  the  Caffrees  advancing 
Most  of  them  had  assagays  in  their  hands;  others  fi?v- 
nished  with  clubs ;  some  were  decorated  with  ostritcli 
feathers,  and  their  chief  wearing  a  leopard  skin,  with  the 
captain's  knee-buckles  suspended  as  before.  They  salu- 
ted the  crew  in  a  very  friendly  manner,  and  were  accom- 
panied by  them  to  the  beach.  The  wind  had  increased 
during  the  night  and  several  parts  of  the  ship  came  on 
shore.  One  of  the  people  had  picked  up  a  hand  saw, 
and  as  he  perceived  the  CaiTrees  were  indefatigable  in 
;iring  iron,  he  hid  it  in  the  sands. — This  was  a  va.Iu- 
ble  acquisition,  and  became  of  infinite  service  to  them 
in  the  course  of  their  proceedings. 

Having  secured  all  they  could  obtain  from  the  wreck, 
the  captain  requested  the  chief  to  order  some  of  his 
people  to  display  their  skill  in  the  use  of  the  assagavs. 
This  is  a  spear  of  about  four  feet  six  inches  in  length, 
made  of  an  elastic  wood,  and  pointed  with  iron,  which  the 
natives  contrive  to  poison  so  effectually,  that  if  it  wounds 
cither  man  or  beast,  death  is  the  inevitable  consequence 


LOSS 


The  captain's  wishes  were  immediately  gratified.  The 
CaffVees  first  placed  a  block  of  wood  on  the  ground,  and 
then  retired  about  seventy  yards  from  the  spot  where  it 
lay.  The  chief  then  said,  they  would  now  behold  their 
manner  of  fighting  when  engaged  in  battle.  These  com- 
pliances, as  they  seemed  to  remove  former  suspicions, 
gave  great  satisfaction  to  the  sufferers.  A  party  of 
about  tlurty  began  their  niano3uvring.  They  first  ran  to^- 
a  considerable  distance  ;  then  fell,  as  if  motionless,  on 
the  ground;  in  a  moment  they  started  up,  divided,  joined 
again,  and  ran  into  a  compact  body  to  the  spot  from 
whence  they  originally  set  out.  After  hailing  for  about  a 
minute,  they  let  fly  a  shower  of  assagays  at  the  mark,  and 
with  a  precision  that  was  truly  astonishing. 

Not  a  word  more  passed  this  day  about  the  departure 
of  the  crew.  The  natives  retired  as  usual  on  the  ap- 
proach of  night.  All  were  employed  to  gather  wood  ; 
iiiid  after  procuring  a  sufficient  quantity,  they  stretched 
themselves  on  the  ground,  and  in  spite  of  wind,  sand,  and 
cold,  slept  until  morning. 

When  day  appeared,  all  were  again  employed  in  look- 
ing out  for  the  long-boat  ;  but  she  was  not  to  be  seen,  nor 
did  they  ever  hear  of  her  again. 

The  Caffrees  did  riot  make  their  appearance  this  day 
until  the  sun  had  proceeded  two  hours  in  its  course. 
As  little  now  was  to  be  procured  from  the  wreck,  Captain 
Stout  begged  the  chief  to  appoint  a  guide  for  himself  and 
crew,  as  he  proposed  taking  his  departure  on  the  next 
day.  "  I  shall  furnish  you  with  two,"  said  the  chief. 
These  joyful  tidings  were  delivered  with  so  much  frank- 
ness, that  the  captain  was  relieved  at  once  from  all  appre- 
hension and  suspicion. 

Desirous  of  having  the  Hottentot  who  served  as  an  in- 
terpreter to  accompany  them  through  the  desert,  the 
chief  was  given  to  understand  how  much  the  services  of 
this  man  would  not  only  contribute  to  their  pleasure,  but 
also  to  their  safety.  The  honest  savage,  however,  had 
fciitieipated  their  wishes  ;  he  had  previously  mentioned  it 
lo  the  Hottentot,  who  had  consented  to  proceed  to  the 
first  Christian  farm.  Another  of  the  tribe,  who  was  bet- 
fi-u-  acquainted  with  the  country,  had  likewise  agreed  to 
}jv  of  the  party:  and  this  information  which  was  eommu- 


THJE   HERCULES.  *--l 

nlcated  to  the  crew,  diffused  a  general  joy  and  satisfac- 
tion. 

After  assuring  the  chief  and  the  Caffrees  in  general  of 
our  unalterable  friendship,  and  that  the  guides  should  he 
rewarded  to  the  extent  of  their  wishes,  "  I  told  him, 
(says  the  captain,)  we  had  endured  great  distress  for  want 
of  water,  and  begged  to  know  where  we  could  procure 
some."  "  I  will  conduct  you,"  said  he  "  to  a  spring  of 
excellent  water ;  it  is  not  far  from  this  place ;  and,  if 
you  think  proper,  we  will  proceed  directly  to  the  spot.'* 
No  sooner  was  the  proposal  made  than  we  set  out ;  the 
Coflfrees  singing  and  dancing  as  they  proceeded,  and  my 
people  although  not  without  suspicion,  in  tolerable  spirits." 

After  travelling  westward  about  four  miles  through  a 
delightful  country,  they  came  at  last  to  a -wood,  in  the  bo- 
som of  which  was  discovered  a  hollow.  The  Ca farts 
descended  first,  and  when  they  all  arrived"  at  the  bottom, 
the  chief  pointed  to  the  brook.  They  drank  of  the  wa- 
ter and  found  it  delicious.  After  allaying  their  thirst,  they 
looked  about  and  from  the  dismal  appearance  of  the  place, 
were  again  in  a  state  of  apprehension.  Being  mo:--ih  oJ* 
opinion,  that  nothing  less  was  intended  by  the  Caffrees 
than  to  massacre  the  whole  party  in  this  sequestered  plncc  ; 
that  they  were  decoyed  here  for  the  purpose ;  and  that 
every  man  should  prepare  to  defend  his  life.  The  cap- 
tain, however,,  endeavored  to  quiet  their  appvt 
and  at  last  succeeded. 

The  Caffrees  having  invited  the  parly  to  remain  on  this 
spot  during  the  night,  they  began  to  prepare  wood  for  the 
fires.  All  hands-  went  to  work,  and  by  the  assistance  of  a 
hand-sarv,  they  procured  some  dry  l«-ees  and  under.vooJ, 
that  afforded  a  very  comfortable  fire.  One  of  the  Kotteii - 
tots,  who  was  so  rich  as  to  possess  a  tinder-box,  struck  a 
light;  and  this  accommodation  being  not  only  high  i\  t 
ful,  but  unexpected,  gave  new  spirits  to  the  whole  party. 

The  natives,  as  the  night  came  on,  did  net  retire 
to  their  kraal.     This  gave  a  fresh  alarm,  uhicli  did  not; 
appear  to  be  without  some  cause  :  situated  as  the  ( 
then  were,  they  were  obliged  to  abide  the  event,  and  i. 
prepared  for  the  worst  that  could  happen.    The  \v 
was  set  as  formerly;  but  the  Caffrees  hu«i» 
were  soon  bst  in  sleep.     This  pkcc,  how  .  ;  1  in 


its  'appearance,  afforded  a  tolerable  shelter  for  the  night ; 
riouds  of  sand  were  no  longer  troublesome,  and  the  sever- 
ities of  the  wind  and  cold  were  mitigated  by  the  friendly 
shade  afforded  by  the  trees. 

"  We  were  roused,"  says  the  captain,  "  by  the  savages, 
as  the  sun  appeared,  and  we  departed  from  this  supposed 
Golgotha  in  tolerable  spirits.  "We  had,  however,  consum- 
ed the  last  pound  of  our  bullock,  before  we  left  the  saml- 
-irid  our  party  began  to  dread  an  approaching  famine. 
1  mentioned  the  distress  of  my  people  to  the  chief,  and  he 
promised  to  relieve  us.  We  had  journeyed  but  a  few 
miles,  when  the  Caffrees  told  us  we  must  remain  where 
we  were  that  night.  We  accordingly  set  to  work  to  pro- 
care  tire-wood,  and  had  scarcely  completed  this  necessary 
business,  when  the  chief  presented  us  with  another  bul- 
lock. It  was  soon  despatched,  skinned,  cut  into  pieces 
of  about  four  pounds  each,  and  we  then  proceeded  to 
dress  them  as  provision  for  our  journey.  This  was  a  bu- 
siness of  so  much  importance,  that  most  of  the  day  was 
spent  in  accomplishing  it, 

"  The  night  passed  with  less  apprehension  than  before, 
and  when  the  morning  came,  we  prepared  for  our  de- 
parture. 

"  The  moment  now  arrived  when  the  real  intentions  of 
the  Caffrees  were  to  be  developed.  The  natives  came 
about  us,  and  assisted  in  dividing  the  provisions.  Each 
man  was  to  carry  his  own  stock,  which  amounted  to  about 
three  or  four  pounds  of  beef;  this,  with  some  biscuits, 
which  a  few  of  my  people  had  contrived  to  preserve  from 
the  wreck,  was  to  serve  us  until  we  reached  a  Christian 
settlement.  So  far  from  any  appearance  of  hostility,  the 
natives  seemed  to  view  our  departure  with  regret.  I  took 
the  chief  by  the  hand,  and  thanked  him  for  his  great  and 
friendly  attentions  to  me  and  my  unfortunate  crew  ;  assur- 
ing him  at  the  same  time,  that  if  I  survived  the  journey, 
it  would  ever  be  my  first  consideration  to  render  him  and 
his  people  some  essential  service.  He  thanked  me,  and 
then  requested  I  would  tell  the  colonists  our  ship  was 
lost  at  sea,  and  so  distant  from  the  land,  that  no  part  of 
her  could  possibly  reach  the  shore.  He  also  desired  me 
to  place  the  utmost  confidence  in  my  guides,  as  they 
wo tild  certain? ^'direct  me  for  the  best.  After  r::y  people 


THE    HERCULES.  43 

and  the  natives  had  exchanged  some  mutual  civilities,  we 
parted,  and  gave  one  another  a  last  and  affectionate  adieu." 

They  did  not  take  their  departure  on  the  morning  of 
the  23d  until  the  sun  was  wrell  up.  The  guides  were  in- 
telligent, and  gave  them  to  understand  that  they  must  on 
no  account  travel  early,  as  the  wild  beasts  constantly  rose 
with  the  sun,  and  then  ranged  the  deserts  in  quest  of  their 
prey.  As  they  were  all  unarmed,  a  single  lion,  leopard, 
or  panther,  could  have  destroyed  most  of  them.  It  be- 
came, therefore,  highly  necessary  they  should  not  stir  un- 
til these  animals  had  satisfied  their  hunger,  and  were- retir- 
ed for  the  clay. 

Notwithstanding  this  cautious  and  necessary  advice,, 
and  which  was  given  with  a  laudable  earnestness  for  their 
preservation,  still  the  people  were  so  desirous  of  getting 
on.  that  they  grew  uneasy;  but  the  guards  could  not  h« 
induced  to  quit  the  fires  until  about  nine  o'clock,  at  which 
time  they  all  proceeded,  and  in  good  spirits. 

Not  more  than  three  or  four  of  the  party  were  at  this  , 
moment  in  possession  of  shoes.  They  had  many  hun- 
dred miles  to  travel  through  unknown  countries,  to  ascend 
mountains  of  stupendous  elevation,  penetrate;  woods,  tra- 
verse deserts,  and  ford  rivers;  and  yet  they  were  to  combat 
all  these  difficulties  bare-footed,  not  having  saved  above 
four  pair  of  shoes,  and  even  these  but  in  sad  condition. 

"  As  my  feet  were  naked,"  says  the  captain,  "  like  most 
of  my  people,  one  of  them  offered  me  an  old  pair  of  boots 
which  he  then  wore;  but  I  refused  them.  My  habili- 
ments were  a  short  jacket,  a  table  cloth,  which  I  found 
on  the  shore,  wrapt  round  my  loins  ;  a  shawl  over  it ;  four 
shirts,  which  I  wore  at  the  same  time  ;  a  pair  of  trowsers, 
and  a  hat.  We  bore  to  the  westward  on  our  setting  out, 
for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  fresh  water  in  the  course  of 
our  journey.  Our  guides  observed,  that  near  the  coast 
the  water  was  generally  brackish;  we  therefore  struck 
into  the  interior,  and  were  not  entirely  disappointed  in  our 
expectations." 

They  now  travelled  through  a  country  beautifully  varl- 

r  gated  \vith  hills,  dales,  extensive  plains  finely  watered, 

but  less  wooded  than  the  former.     The  grass  appeared  of 

an  extraordinary  height;  but  in  the  course  they  pursued, 

a  human  foot-step  could  be  traced  :    no  cattle,  HQL- 


44  LOSS    OF 

sign  of  cultivation  could  be  observed.  They  were  not 
interrupted  by  any  beast  of  prey,  although  they  con- 
stantly perceived  their  dung.  At  length,  after  travelling 
about  thirty-five  miles,  they  began  to  feel  the  want  of 
water. 

Having  searched  for  this  indispensable  aliment,  with 
the  utmost  anxiety  and  attention,  they  were  so  fortunate 
as  to  discover,  before  sun-set,  a  brook  that  ran  near  the 
comer  of  a  wood ;  and  here  they  determined  to  rest  for 
the  night..  They  began,  therefore,  to  prepare  a  sufficient 
quantity  of  fuel.  The  wood  was  chiefly  composed  of 
trees  that  partook  in  some  degree  of  the  nature  of  thorn  : 
they  cut  several,  and  arranged  their  fires.  One  of  the 
CafFrees  struck  a  light,  and  the  whole,  in  a  few  minutes, 
was  in  a  blaze.  The  tinder  which  he  provided  was  of  a 
particular  description  ;  it  consisted  of  a  pitchy  substance, 
extracted  from  a  reed,  and  so  tenacious  of  fire,  that  a 
single  spark  from  the  steel  caught  it  in  a  moment.  The 
weather  being  cold,  they  resolved  to  sleep  close  to  one 
another;  but  the  guides  told  them,  the  place  they  had 
fixed  upon  to  rest  during  the  night  was  known  to  be  in- 
fested with  leopards,  and  that,  if  they  scented  the  party, 
nothing  could  prevent  them  from  destroying  some  of> 
them.  This  intelligence  induced  them  to  enlarge  their 
iires,  and  they  began  to  consult  upon  other  measures 
that  were  likely  to  contribute  also  to  their  preservation. 
But  such  is  the  powerful  influence  of  Morpheus  over  the 
harrassed  soul,  that  their  conversation  had  scarcely  com- 
menced on  this  important  subject,,  when  they  were  all 
relieved  from  any  sense  of  danger,  by  gently  falling  into 
a  sound  sleep,  in  which  they  remained  in  perfect  security 
until  morning. 

No  sooner  had  the  sun  peeped  above  the  horizon,  than, 
they  were  all  roused  by  the  tremendous  roaring  *>f  lions. 
Never  were  men  in  a  situation  more  truly  alarming. — 
Had  they  discovered  them  during  the  night,  they  must 
have  been  torn  to  pieces  when  sleeping,  as  not  an  indi- 
vidual could  attend  the  watch,  or  keep  awake  even  for 
an  hour.  They  therefore  congratulated  one  another 
on  finding  they  had  all  escaped,  and  set  out  about  seven 
in  the  morning  in  company  with  their  guides. — Thty 
soon  arrived  at  the  bunk  of  a  small  river,  which  t 


THE    HERCULES,  43 

perfectly  dry,  they  crossed  without  difficulty.  Shortly 
after  they  came  to  another,  which  they  likewise  passed  in 
a  few  minutes.  They  reached  at  length  some  islands, 
from  the  tops  of  which  they  discovered  several  beautiful 
vales,  clothed  with  long  dry  grass,  and  clusters  of  trees, 
in  other  places,  forests  of  considerable  extent,  and  skirt- 
ing mountains  of  different  elevations.  In  the  course  of 
the  day  they  were  in  great  distress  for  want  of  water,  and 
lost  much  time  in  the  pursuit  of  it.  Indeed  they  almost 
despaired  of  finding  any,  as  the  earth  appeared  so  dry  as 
to  exhaust  all  the  brooks  they  had  visited.  LuckHy, 
however,  about  sun-set,  they  discovered  a  small  rivulet 
that  ran  near  the  skirt  of  a  forest ;  and,  although  the 
water  was  not  good,  yet  it  still  relieved  them  from  a 
dreadful  situation. 

Having  travelled  this  day  about  thirty  miles,  they  de- 
termined to  remain  where  they  were  during  the  night. 
All  hands,  therefore,  went  immediately  to  work,  for  the 
purpose  of  getting  fuel.  They  had  seen  no  wild  ani- 
mals in  the  course  of  the  day,  but  frequently  observed 
the  dung  of  the  elephant  and  the  rhinoceros. 

As  their  situation  for  this  night  was  as  dangerous  and 
deplorable  as  on  the  preceding  one,  they  determined  to 
enlarge  their  fires,  as  the  only  means  of  safety  they  had 
left.  This  was  accordingly  done,  and  they  had  the  pleas- 
ure to  find,  when  the  day  appeared,  that  not  an  individual 
was  missing  of  the  whole  party. 

They  proceeded  on  their  journey  shortly  after  sunrise ; 
and,  as  they  were  to  travel  through  a  wood  of  considera- 
ble extent,  the  guides  told  them  to  be  upon  their  guard, 
as  they  would  certainly  be  interrupted  by  wild  animals,, 
which  resorted  to  that  place  in  prodigious  numbers. 
They  determined,  noth withstanding,  to  brave  all  dan- 
gers, and  accordingly  proceeded.  They  indeed  escap- 
ed the  lions,  the  panthers,  the  rhinoceros,  the  elephant, 
&cc.  but,  unfortunately,  about  noon,  came  up  with  a 
horde  of  Caffrecs,  that  were  distinguished,  by  their  own 
countrymen,  as  a  bad  tribe.  They  spoke  at  first  to  some 
Caffree  women,  who  behaved  kindly,  and  gave  them 
one  or  two  baskets  of  milk.  These  baskets  are  T 
of  twig*?  wove  so  closely  together  as  to  hold  vv 


4&  LOSS    OF 

Having  proceeded  but  a  short  way,  after  receiving 
tliis  instance  of  female  liberality,  they  were  stopt  by 
twelve  Caffree  men,  armed  with  spears,  and  clothed  in 
leopard  skins.  Their  guides,  alarmed  at  the  appearance 
of  these  savages,  fiew  to  the  banks  of  the  great  fish  riv- 
er, which  at  that  time  was  not  more  than  two  hundred 
yards  from  the  place  where  they  stood.  They  repeated- 
ly called  on  them  to  return,  but  in  vain  ;  they  immedi- 
ately crossed  the  bed  of  the  river,  which  was  dry,  and 
having  reached  the  opposite  shore  ascended  an  adjoining 
mountain  with  the  utmost  precipitation.  The  savages 
brandished  their  spears,  and  appeared  by  their  gestures 
to  menace  the  destruction  of  the  people.  They  could 
not  understand  them,  but  supposed  they  demanded 
from  them  whatever  articles  they  possessed  ;  arid  as 
these  principally  consisted  of  the  little  stock  of  provi- 
sions they  had  left,  and  their  clothes,  they  determined 
not  to  part  with  either. 

One  of  the  captain's  people  had  a  knife,  which  was 
slung  over  his  shoulder.  A  Caffree  perceiving  it,  made 
a  snatch  at  the  handle ;  but  the  owner  resisting  it,  he 
lost  his  hold.  This  so  enraged  the  savage,  that  he  lifted 
up  his  assagay  with  an  apparant  intention  of  desp^fcing 
the  object  of  his  resentment.  At  the  moment  he  stood 
in  this  attitude,  a  more  finished  picture  of  horror,  or 
what  may  be  conceived  of  the  infernals,  wras  perhaps 
never  seen  before.  The  savage  "*vore  a  leopard's  skin  ; 
liis  black  countenance  bedaubed  with  red  ochre ;  his 
eyes,  inflamed  with  rage,,  appeared  as  if  starting  from 
their  sockets  ;  his  mouth  expanded,  and  his  teeth  gnash- 
ing and  grinning  with  all  the  fury  of  an  exasperated 
demon.  He  was,  however^  diverted  from  his  purpose, 
and  dropped  the  assagay. 

The  crew  instantly  proceeded  to  the  river,  and  cross- 
ed it  in  pursuit  of  their  guides,  who  were  standing  on 
the  summit  of  the  mountain ;  when  they  came  up,  the 
guides  expressed  the  utmost  satisfaction  at  their  escape. 
They  gave  them  a  terrible  description  of  the  people 
they  had  just  left,  and  assured  them,  if  the  remainder  of 
their  horde  had  not  been  hunting  at  the  time  they  got 
lo  the  fish  river,  not  a  man  of  them  would  have  svr 


THE   BfiRCUXES.  47 

ed.  They  also  declared,  that  they  were  the  most  abomi- 
nable horde  throughout  the  whole  of  Cailraria. 

Their  conversation  lasted  but  a  few  minutes,  when 
they  resolved  to  decend  the  mountain,  and  pursue  their 
journey.  Scarcely  had  they  put  themselves  in  motion, 
when  a  scene  of  the  most  extensive  and  luxuriant  beau- 
ties burst  in  a  moment  on  their  view.  The  danger  they 
had  just  escaped,  engaged  their  attention  so  entirely, 
when  they  gained  the  summit,  that  they  did  not  immedi- 
ately perceive  the  world  of  beauties  that  now  lay  spread 
before  them.  All  stood  for  some  time  in  a  state  of  rap- 
ture and  amazement.  The  country  was  mostly  a  level, 
yet  pleasingly  diversified  with  gentle  elevations,  on  the 
tops  of  which  they  could  perceive  clumps  of  the  mimosa 
tree,  and  the  sides  clothed  with  shrubs  of  various  denom- 
inations. A  thousand  rivulets  seemed  to  meander 
.through  this  second  Eden;  frequently  skirting  or  ap- 
pearing to  encircle  a  plantation  of  wood  ;  then  sudden- 
ly taking  a  different  direction,  gilded  through  a  plain  of 
considerable  extent,  until  it  came  to  a  gentle  declivity  ; 
here  it  formed  a  natural  cascade,  and  then,  following 
its  course,  proceeded  in  an  endless  variety  throughout 
the  wb«  of  the  country. 

As  Uly  stood  gazing  on  this  sylvan  scene,  they  per- 
ceived innumerable  herds  of  animals,  particularly  of 
the  species  of  the  gazelle,  scouring  over  the  plains  ; 
some  darting  through  the  woods,  others  feeding,  or 
drinking  at  the  rivulets.  As  far  as  the  eye  travelled  in 
pursuit  of  new  beauties,  it  was  most  amply  gratified, 
until  at  length  the  whole  gradually  faded  on  the  view, 
and  become  lost  on  the  horizon.  They  were  so  wrapt. 
In  extacy  on  this  landscape,  that  they  forgot  their  danger, 
and  remained  too  long  upon  11  ic  mountain.  They  at 
length  descended,  &nd  proceeded  on  their  journey. 

Before  the  day  closed  they  fixed  on  a  place  where 
they  were  to  remain  untill  the  morning.  It  was  near  a 
wood,  mostly  composed  of  that  kind  of  thorn  already 
mentioned.  Several  of  these  they  immediately  cut,  not 
only  for  the  purpose  of  fuel,  but  to  form  a  barricade  or  de- 
fence against  the  wild  animals  during  the  night. 

After  completing  their  fortification,  lighting  the  fire?-, 
«nd  supping  in  the  best  manner  possible,  they  lay  down 


48  LOSS  OP 


to  rest  ;  but  their  sleep  was  constantly  disturbed  during 
the  night,  by  a  herd  of  elephants  brushing  through  the 
wood,  passing  and  returning  almost  every  moment. 
Had  not  the  fence  been  erected  the  preceding  evening, 
they  would  in  all  probability,  have  been  trampled  to 
death  by  these  monstrous  animals.  They  had  the  good 
fortune  however  to  escape  ;  and,  about  seven  the  next 
morning,  proceeded  on  their  journey,  in  company  with 
the  guides. 

They  travelled  this  day  through  a  delightful  country. 
The  land,  in  some  places,  seemed  to  be  composed  of  a 
red  and  yellow  clay,  and  the  valleys  appeared  covered 
with  a  very  thick  and  long  grass,  hut  not  a  sign  of  agri- 
culture was  to  be  observed.  In  the  course  of  the  day, 
they  perceived  a  few  deserted  huts,  one  of  which  they 
entered,  but  paid  severely  for  their  curiosity,  as  those 
who  ventured  in,  were  in  a  moment  entirely  covered 
with  fleas. 

Water  was  found  sometimes,  but  it  was  brackish,  al- 
though they  were  at  least  50  miles  from  the  sea.  They 
kept  at  this  distance  during  most  of  the  journey. 

They  brought  up  for  the  night,  after  traveling  about 
35  miles,  at  the  skirt  of  a  small  forest,  and  provided 
fuel,  with  a  temporary  defence,  as  before.  The  pro- 
visions being  nearly  exhausted,  they  were  obliged  to 
eat  sparingly,  although  most  of  them  were  ravenously 
hungry. 

About  seven  in  the  morning,  they  again  set  out  ;  but 
many  of  the  people  dropt  a-stern  in  the  course  of  the 
day,  being  almost  worn  out  with  fatigue.  In  ihis  situa- 
tion it  was  thought  advisable  for  such  of  the  party  as 
could  travel,  to  get  forward,  and  provide  a  place  where 
wood  arid  water  could  be  had.  The  captain  was  of  this 
company  ;  and  that  all  those  who  remained  behind  might 
find  their  way,  he  ordered  the  Caffree  guides  to  set  fire 
to  the  lon£  grass,  which  served  during  the  night  as  a  point 
of  direction.  He  was  Iike\vise  in  exp^claison  of  their 
coining  up  before  morning,  but  was  sadly  disappointed. 
They  remained  stationary  until  the  sun  appeared,  and 
then  went  on. 

>Tot  one  of  the  people  left  behind  appeared  this  morn- 
ing ;  but  the  guides  were  oi'  opinion  they  would  reach  a 


THE    HERCULES.  49 

Christian  settlement  in  the  course  of  the  day,  wnere 
assistance  would  certainly  be  had.  This  intelligence 
gave  them  new  spirits ;  and  they  travelled  with  an  unu- 
sual alertness,  until  they  came  to  a  farmhouse.  Here 
relief  was  expected,  but  none  was  to  be  found :  the 
whole  place  had  been  deserted  for  some  time  ;  they 
were  obliged,  therefore,  to  sleep  again  in  the  air,  and 
leave  their  absent  and  miserable  companions  to  all  the 
horrors  of  the  desert. 

This  was  not  a  night  of  sleep,  but  lamentation.  They 
sat  round  the  fire,  and  spoke  of  nothing  but  their  absent 
messmates,  and  their  unfortunate  situation.  They  were 
left  defenceless,  without  food,  hardly  able  to  stand  erect, 
and  in  a  country  where  the  ferocious  animals  were  most 
numerous.  They  \\ere  likewise  every  hour  in  danger  of 
an  attack  from  the  Boshis-men,  who  swarm  in  these  parts, 
and  destroy  the  unhappy  objects  of  their  vengeance  by 
arrows  that  are  poisoned.  The  sensibility  of  the  people 
on  this  melancholy  occasion,  displit}  ed  the  genuine  char- 
acter of  a  sailor.  Men  who  could  brave  all  the  da,, 
of  the  tempest,  and  face  death  without  a  trembling  nerve, 
even  in  the  cannon's  mouth,  could  not,  however,  speak 
of  their  distressed  and  absent  brethren  without  a 
Their  own  misfortunes  were  forgotten,  and  their  only 
consideration,  during  the  night,  was  their  unhapp}'  : 
mates,  whom  they  never  expected  to  behold  r. 

They  remained  here  for  more  than  an  hour  after  the 
rising  of  the  sun.  Out  of  sixty,  that  composed  tin- 
party,  when  they  departed  from  the  1:  ly-six 
so  maimed  and  worn  down  by  fatigue,  as  to  !i. 
to  travel:  these  remained  in  the  desert,  if  L. 
ready  destroyed,  ?.nd  had  no  hope  of  preservation,  but  by 
the  exertions  of  (lie  party  who  were  able  to  proceed  ;  th«' 
ftiiidus  were  ROW  certain  that  a  Christian  habiiiifion  was  ;it 
hand.  The  hist  we  saw  had  been  destroyed  by  the  Caf- 
frees  during  the  war  with  the  colonists :  It  was,  there- 
fore, determined  to  proceed  to  a  place  where  rf\i*>i 

•  I  be  obta'.i  t    every  possible  despatch, 

people   proceeded  with  redoubled  energy  :   the  sal- 1 
of  their  com},  as  the  incentive,  arid  that  C( 

eratbn  ;•:•  inched  every  idea  of  danger  or  futii.--" 
E 


#0  LOSS   OF 

They  travelled  without  a  single  halt  for  about  three 
hours,  \vhen  one  of  the  guides,  who  was  advanced, 
roared  out,  in  a  transport  of  joy,  "  I  see  a  Hottentot, 
attending  a  flock  of  sheep."  It  was  the  voice  of  a 
seraph  proceeding  from  a  Cafifree.  They  all  ran  to  the 
place  where  he  stood,  and,  at  a  considerable  distance, 
observed  a  man  attending  a  flock  of  at  least  four  thou- 
sand. They  moved  in  a  body  towards  the  shepherd, 
who  seemed  at  first  to  be  alarmed  ;  but  perceiving  they 
were  most  whites,  and  unarmed,  he  stopt  until  they 
came  up.  The  captain  requested  of  him  to  direct  them 
the  nearest  way  to  the  first  settlement,  which  he  did,  and 
at  the  same  time  informed  us,  the  proprietor  was  a  good 
man ;  the  distance,  he  said,  wras  about  three  milos. 
The  pleasure  diffused  throughout  the  party,  on  receiving 
this  information,  it  is  impossible  to  describe.  The  cap- 
tain embraced  this  opportunity,  and  went  on ;  a  gene- 
ral joy  succeeded,  and  who  should  be  foremost,  the 
princifKil  consideration ! 

At  length — extatic  reflection — they  came  within  sight 
of  a  Christian  farm.  "  Come  on,  my  lads,"  said  the 
<  aptuin,  "  we  are  safely  nioor'd  at  last ;  and  our  people, 
iii  the  deserts,  will  be  soon  relieved."  Some  tottered  as 
they  stood,  overcome  by  joy,  and  could  not  move  ;  oth- 
*  i-s  appeared  as  in  a  trance,  until  at  length  about  ten 
Vo' lowed  him,  and  they  entered  the  house  of  Jan  du 
Fllesies. 

Fortunately,  this  was  a  settler  of  the  best  order,  about 
sixty  years  old,  born  in  Holland,  but  had  resided  in  Af- 
rica for  many  years  ;  humane,  generous,  and  possessing 
a  heart  that  appeared  to  be  the  constant  mansion  of  a 
virtuous  sympathy.  His  cottage  was  formed  of  clay, 
ihjjtched  with  a  kind  of  reed,  and  furnished  with  a  few 
stools, -a  table,  and  some  kitchen  utensils.  His  family 
consisted  of  five  or  six  sons,  their  wives  and  children, 
together  with  a  daughter,  making  together  about  twenty 
people.  His  stock,  however,  wasflkmsiderable,  not 
less  than  twelve  thousand  sheep,  iSid  one  thousand 
oxen. 

After  the  alarm,  which  their  first  appearance  occa- 
sioned, had  subdued,  the  captain  told  the  story  of  their 
.melancoly  disaster,  and  implored  liis  assistance  for  the 


THE'  HERCULES.  01 

relief  of  the  unhappy  people  who  were  left  behind. 
This  good  man  could  not  listen  to  the  relation  without 
discovering  by  his  countenance  the  tenderness  of  his 
nature.  His  face,  which  was  naturally  pallid,  became, 
at  certain  intervals,  of  a  crimson  hue  :  these  emotions 
appeared  as  the  effervescence  of  sensibility,  and  to  ex- 
hibit, in  glowing  colors,  the  complexion  of  virtue. 

As  no  time,  he  said,  should  be  lost  in  preparing  for 
the  relief  of  the  unfortunate  people,  he  immediately 
directed  two  of  his  sons  to  harness  eight  oxen  to  a 
waggon.  His  orders  were  obeyed  with  a  cheerfulness 
that  evinced  an  hereditary  goodness,  and  that  it  had  de- 
scended, unimpaired,  from  the  sire  to  his  children. 
They  were  directed  to  travel  all  night ;  and  the  guides 
described  the  spot,  so  minutely,  as  to  avoid  ail  possibili- 
ty of  a  mistake.  The  waggon  was  soon  out  of  sight, 
and  they  all  sat  down  to  partake  of  a  sheep,  which 
our  liberal  host  had  ordered  to  be  killed  for  their  enter- 
tainment. 

When  the  meal  was  over,  the  worthy  colonist  began 
to  interrogate  them  respecting  their  journey  through 
Caffraria.  He  could  not  possibly  conceive,  he  said, 
how  the  Tambochis  could  be  induced  to  suffer  their 
departure.  They  were  such  a  horrid  race,  that  nothing 
was  so  gratifying  to  their  nature  as  the  shedding  of  hu- 
man blood.  The  Boshis-men  he  also  observed,  were  so 
numerous,  and  so  perpetually  on  the  look-out,  that  he 
was  amazed  at  their  travelling  with  any  degree  of  secu- 
rity ;  but  when  he  considered  that  they  came  through  a 
part  of  Caffraria,  so  infested  with  carnivorous  animals, 
that  people  could  never  travel  safely  but  in  parties,  and 
well  armed,  he  declared  their  being  then  in  his  house 
appeared  to  him  a  kind  of  miracle. 

The  captain  took  this  opportunity  of  giving  our  wor- 
thy host  a  proper  idea  of  the  Tambochis.  His  mind 
had  been  poisoned  by  some  of  his  depredating  neigh- 
bors, and  never  going  on  such  parties  himself,  had  en 
tertained  these  prejudices  without  having  an  opportunity 
of  knowing  the  contrary.  He  appeared  much  pleased 
at  the  conduct  of  the  Tambochis,  during  our  abode  in 
their  country,  and  declared  this  circumstance  alone 
would  relieve  him  Cjjom  many  hours  of  uneasiness. 


52  LOSS    OF 

His  sequestered  mansion  was  nearly  surrounded  by 
frees,  on  which  were  hung  to  dry,  the  skins  of  lions, 
tigers,  panthers,  and  other  destructive  animals,  killed  in 
the  vicinity  of  his  own  habitation.  The  carcases  of  two 
enormous  creatures  were  observed  lying;  near  the  door, 
which  had  the  appearance  of  being  recently  destroyed. 
They  were  two  rhinoceroses  that  the  farmer's  sons  had 
killed,  but  the  day  before,  on  their  own  land.  This 
gave  rise  to  a  narrative  respecting  these  animals,  which 
the  good  man  related  with  great  circumspection,  and 
which  appeared  very  extraordinary. 

"  Theee  creatures,  said  the  farmer,  are  more  savage, 
and  infiDiiely  more  to  be  dreaded,  than  any  other  ani- 
mal of  the  deserts.  Even  the  lion,  when  he  perceives 
a  rhinoceros,  will  fly  from  him  in  an  instant.  I  had  a 
proof  of  thispxsaid  he,  about  two  years  ago.  As  I  was 
traversing  my  lands  in  the  morning,  I  perceived  a  lion 
entering  a  thicket,  about  the  distance  of  half  a  mile 
from  the  place  where  I  stood.  In  a  few  minutes  after 
I  observed  a  second,  then  a  third,  and  a  fourth  €ame  ; 
they  seemed  to  follow  one  another  at  their  leisure,  and, 
in  less  than  an  hour,  I  counted  nine  that  entered  the 
same  wood.  Never  having  seen  so  many  of  the  same 
species  together,  I  was  desirous  to  know  the  event  of 
their  meeting,  and  I  concealed  myself  for  the  pur] 
After  waiting  for  rather  more  than  an  hour  in  my  lurking 
place,  without  either  seeing  any  of  them,  or  hearing 
any  noise  from  the  quarter  where  they  lay,  I  began  to 
despair  of  having  my  curiosity  in  the  least  gratified.  At 
length,  I  perceived  a  rhinoceros  of  uncommon  magnitude 
approach  the  wood.  He  stood  motionless  for  about  five 
minutes,  when  he  arrived  at  a  small  distance  from  the 
thicket,  then  tossed  up  his  nose  and  at  last  scented  the 
animals  that  lay  concealed.  In  an  instant  I  saw  him 
dart  into  the  wood,  and  in  the  space  of  about  five  min- 
utes afterwards  I  observed  all  the  lions  scamper  away  in 
different  directions,  and  apparently  in  the  greatest  con- 
sternation. T£ie  rhinoceros  beat  about  the  wood  in  pur- 
suit of  his  eriel&ifeswfor  a  considerable  time;  but  not 
finding  any,  he  brofe^^ert  at  last  and  appeared  on 
the  plain.  He  then  looked^afound  him,  enraged  at  his 
disappointment,  began  tearing  rf»  the  earth,  and  discover* 


THE   HERCULES.  53 

ed  every-sign  of  madness  and  desperation.  I  remained 
quietly  in  iny  retreat  until  the  animal  disappeared,  and 
then  returned  to  my  house." 

The  travellers  slept  this  night  on  sacks,  which  their 
host  had  arranged  for  their  accommodation.  At  break- 
fast on  the  succeeding  morning,  their  benefactor  entertain- 
ed them  with  some  very  interesting  observations  res- 
pecting the  country  where  he  resided.  He  particularly 
stated  the  hardships,  which  the  colonists  endured  from 
the  restrictive  orders  and  persecuting  conduct  of  the 
government  at  the  Cape.  "  I  have  lead  ore,  said  he,  on 
my  own  farm,  so  near  the  surface  that  we  can  sen 
up  with  our  hands,  and  yet  we  dare  not  touch  ii. —  H 
v.-ere  known  to  melt  and  use  a  single  pound  of  it,  we 
;)kl  be  all  transported,  for  life,  to  Batavia." 

Before  they  had  finished    their  meal,  their  henrf--.. 
despatched  messengers  to  his  neighboring   Civ 
.siring  their  assistance  to  get  the  crew  to  the  Ca 
eral  of  them  came  and  behaved  with  the  greatt >i  tenner- 
ness  and  liberality.     They  went  so  far  as  to  say, 
such  as  were  desirous  of  remaining  in  the  country  unfii 
they  had  perfectly  recovered,  should  be  acccr 
at  their  houses ;  and  as  they  travelled  once  in  even    x 
(o  the  Cape,  they  would  take    the  first  opportunity  of 
conveying  them  thither.     The  captain  thankoi 
their  kindness,  but  declined  accepting  their  pi 
his  intention  was  to  make  the  Cape  with  • 
expedition. 

This  conversation  was  interrupted  by  a  Hottentot  ser- 
vant who  ran  into  the  house  and  declared  the 
was  in  sight."     All  fiew  to  meet  it,  and  the  captain*  had 
the   heartfelt  consolation  of  perceiving  twenty-thiv 
his  unfortunate  people,  chiefly  Lascars,  lying  down  in  the 
machine.     On  their  arrival,  the  two  sons  o: 
they  found  them  near  a  wood  perfectly  resigned  to 
fate,  having  given  up  all  hopes  of  relief.     The  pree 
thirteen  of  their  companions  had  separated  fi\  : 
but  where  they  had  strayed  to  not  one. of  them  * 
even  guess  at.     These  poor  fellows  after 
time  the  most  unexampled  misi-:' 


5k  LOSS   OF 

They  were  now  forty-seven  in  number,  and  as  they 
were  to  proceed  in  waggons,  such  as  were  afflicted  with 
sore  feet,  or  weak,  through  hunger  and  fatigue,  would 
not  again  be  separated  from  their  companions. 

Their  benevolent  host  now  provided  them  with  a  wag- 
gon  and  two  sets  of  oxen,  each  set  containing  eight. 
They  were  occasionally  to  relieve  each  other  on  the 
way,  and  two  or  three  Hottentot  servants  were  appoint- 
ed as  drivers,  and  to  take  charge  of  the  relaying  cattle. 
One  of  the  farmer's  sons,  completely  armed,  was  like- 
wise directed  to  attend  them,  and  the  waggon  was  stor- 
ed with  provisions  and  water  sufficient  for  them  until 
they  should  arrive  at  the  next  settlement. 

They  took  their  departure  from  the  hospitable  man- 
sion of  the  benevolent  Dupliesies  on  the  morning  of  the 
£d  of  July.  The  guard  was  perpetually  on  the  watch, 
lest  the  Boshis-men  or  the  wild  animals  might  dart  upon 
them  unperceived.  About  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening, 
however,  they  reached  the  second  farm  in  perfect  secu- 
The  distance  travelled  was  about  thirty-live  miles 
tills  day,  and  all  the  people  in  good  spirits. 

The  owner  whose  name  was  Cornelius  Englebrock, 
they  found  also  a  benevolent  character.  His  cottage  was 
poor  indeed,  but  all  that  he  could  aiford  he  gave  with 
cheerfulness.  His  neighbor's  letter  was  produced,  which 
he  read  with  great  attention,  and  then  said,  "  my  friend 
is  a  good  man,  and  I  always  valued  him  ;  but  you  want- 
ed no  other  recommendation  to  my  poor  services,  than 
your  misfortunes." 

They  remained  here  daring  the  night,  after  partaking 
of  a  frugal  repast  which  their  host  had  provided,  and 
which  was  given  with  many  innocent  apologies  for  its 

tntiness. 

Before  their  departure  on  the  ensuing  morning,  the 
fanner  generously  presented  them  with  nine  sheep.   The 
poor  man  lamented  that   he  could  not  tet  them  have  a 
el  of  bread. — "  We  live,  (said  he.)    the  year  round 
'y  on  mutton  and  game,  but  seldom  enjoy  the  luxu- 
f  a  loaf."     lie   insisted,  however,  on  the  captain's 
ng  the  sheep,  which  he  accepted  with  maay  thanks, 
rrui  they  then  departed  on  tlreir  journey. 


THE    HERCULES.  £j 

During  the  four  or  five  succeeding  days,  they  travelled 
on  from  house  to  house,  generally  at  fifteen  or  sixteen 
miles  distance  from  each  other,  and  were  received  at 
all  of  them  with  a  disinterested  hospitality.  These  oc- 
currences are  related  with  a  scrupulous  attention  to  fidel- 
ity, because  the  colonists,  without  distinction,  have  been 
frequently  represented  as  a  ferocious  banditti,  scarcely 
to  be  kept  within  ^he  pale  of  authority. 

During  several  days  travelling  they  could  get  but  little 
bread,  and  not  much  water.  The  countries  were  alter- 
nately hill  and  dale,  and  often  afforded  the  most  roman- 
tic prospects.  They  frequently  perceived  vast  quantities 
of  wolves,  and  such  droves  of  that  species  of  deer, 
which  the  farmers  call  spring  buck,  that  one  flock  alone 
could  not  contain  less  than  from  twelve  to  fourteen  thou- 
sand. Indeed  many  of  the  settlers  said,  they  had  seen 
double  that  number  at  one  time,  and  frequently  killed 
three  at  a  single  shot.  Our  travellers  likewi.se  saw  vast 
quantities  of  guinea-fowl,  which  after  a  shower  of  rain, 
are  easily  caught  by  the  farmers'  dogs.  * 

The  Zebra,  or  wild  Ass,  is  common  in  these  advanced 
colonies,  and  many  of  them  were  seen.  Ostriches  wore 
likewise  very  numerous.  They  had  such  plenty  of  veni- 
son at  the  houses  where  they  stopped,  that  their  stock  of 
nine  sheep,  furnished  by  honest  Englebroek,  was  dimin- 
ished but  three  in  the  course  of  six  days. 

From  the  8th  to  the  14th  of  July,  their  journey  was 
not  interrupted  by  any  disagreeable  occurrence.  The 
countries  through  which  they  passed,  displayed  at  every 
mile  a  new  change  of  beauties.  The  mountains  were  in 
many  places  of  stupendous  height,  and  the  valleys  deco- 
rated with  wood,  were  astonishingly  fertile  in  vegetable 
productions.  One  of  the  most  extensive  of  these  val- 
leys, took  them  no  less  than  three  days  and  a  half  in 
passing.  It  is  called  by  the  settlers  Long  Cluff,  and 
affords,  perhaps,  as  many  romantic  scenes  as  can  be 
found  in  any  spot  of  the  same  extent  on  the  face  of  the 
earth. 

The  hills  for  seventy  or  eighty  miles,  run  parallel  to 
each  other.  The  lands  between  are  wonderfully  rich, 
and  produce  vast  quantities  of  a  plant,  similar  in  i(- 

-me]],  to  our  thyme.     On  this  fragrant  hr-b  rro  fed 


56  LOSS  OF 

immense  quantities  of  sheep  and  cattle  ;  they  devour  it 
with  great  eagerness,  and  it  gives  the  mutton  a  flavor  ?o 
like  our  venison,  that  an  epicure  might  be  deceived  in 
the  taste.  The  valleys  are  generally  level  from  four  to 
eight  miles  in  breadth,  and  in  several  places  intersected 
with  rivulets,  on  the  borders  of  which  are  frequently 
perceived  whole  groves  of  the  aloe-tree. 

On  or  about  the  14th,  they  reached  the  settlement  of 
an  old  and  blind  man.  He  had  a  large  family,  and  ap- 
peared to  possess  a  comfortable  independence.  When 
he  heard  the  story  of  the  travellers,  the  good  farmer 
burst  into  tears,  and  ordered  a  glass  of  brandy  to  be 
given  to  each  of  the  crew.  After  this  unusual  and 
cheering  repast,  he  directed  some  mutton  to  be  deliver- 
ed to  the  people,  and  gave  them  a  pot  to  dress  it  in.  He 
then  requested  of  the  captain  to  mess  with  the  family, 
which  was  complied  with,  and  when  supper  was  ended, 
this  worthy  creature  said  lie  was  so  pleased  with  their 
escaping  the  dangers  of  the  seas,  and  the  Caffrees,  that 
he  would  celebrate  the  meeting  with  a  song.  He  imme- 
diately began  and  sung  with  the  voice  of  Stentor.  A 
general  plaudit  succeeded ;  and  then  the  honest  benefac- 
tor said,  "  Now,  captain,  I  have  a  favor  to  ask  of  you. 
Pray  desire  all  your  people  to  sing."  It  was  impossible 
to  help  laughing  at  this  whimsical  request ;  but  it  was 
thought  good  humor,  at  such  a  moment,  should  not  be 
interrupted  ;  therefore  an  American  sailor  was  desired  to 
sing  one  of  his  best  songs.  He  no  sooner  began  than 
all  the  Lascars  tuned  their  pipes ;  this  set  a  going  the 
Swedes,  Portuguese,  and  Dutchmen,  and  all  the  crew ; 
each  party  sung  in  their  different  languages,  and  at  the 
same  time.  Such  a  concert  was  never  heard  before  ; 
Ihe  liberal  and  merry  old  colonist  was  so  entertained 
with  tlieir  music,  that  he  had  nearly  dropt  from  his 
chair  in  a  fit  of  laughter. 

The  captain  was  provided  this  night  with  a  sheep-skin, 
on  which  he  rested  under  the  roof  of  the  farmer's  cot- 
tage ;  but  there  was  not  room  for  all,  and  therefore  most 
of  the  poor  fellows  were  obliged  to  sleep  in  the  air.  A 
similar  inconvenience  had  happened  so  frequently  since 
they  reached  the  colonic^  that  they  detern-ir.e'i  to 
separate. 


THE   HERCULES.  »f 

On  the  morning  of  the  17th  they  separated,  and  the 
.captain  took  with  him  his  chief  and  third  mate,  together 
with  one  or  two  more  wao  were  solicitous  to  accompa- 
ny him.  The  country,  as  they  advanced,  increased  in 
population  ;  and  the  farm-houses  were,  in  several  place*, 
not  more  than  two  miles  distance  from  each  other.  Ma- 
ny of  them  were  beautifully  situated,  and  the  lands  pro- 
duced grain,  oranges,  figs,  and  lemons  in  abundance, 
Their  grapes  likewise  appeared  to  flourish,  and  supplied 
them  with  wine  and  brandies,  which  they  vended  chiefir 
at  the  Cape.  Vast  herds  of  deer,  and  partridges  out  of 
all  number,  were  seen,  and  immense  tracts  of  land  cov- 
ered entirely  with  aloe-trees. 

From  the  17th  to  the  21st,  they  travelled  a  mountain- 
ous country  ;  but  the  valleys  constantly  presented  farms 
and  habitations  where  the  industry  of  the  husbandman 
was  amply  rewarded.  The  flocks  of  sheep  were  prodi- 
gious ;  but  the  cattle  were  not  so  numerous,  nor  in  such 
good  condition  as  those  seen  in  the  more  advanced 
colonies. 

On  the  22d  they  arrived  at  Zwellingdam,  and  proceed- 
ed to  the  landorse-house.  The  landorse  is  the  chief 
man  of  the  place,  and  his  settlement  consists  of  about 
sixteen  or  eighteen  houses,  surrounded  by  a  delightful 
country,  and  producing  grain,  vegetables  for  culinary 
purposes,  grapes  and  fruits  of  almost  every  description. 

Tin'-  them  a  very  hospitable  reception, 

and  the  next  morning  furnished  the- captain  with  a  horse 
and  guide,  to  conduct  him  to  his  brother-in-law's  ;  that 
nothing  miirht  be  omit  fed  on  his  part  to  secure  a  favor- 
able reception  at  the  Cape,  the  captain's  worthy  host 
gave  them  a  very  kind  letter  to  his  friend  General  Craig, 
commander  in  chief,  acquainting  him  with  the  loss  of 
the  ship,  and  the  miseries  endured  by  the  crew  in  their 
travels  through  the  desert.  He  also  requested  the  g<*neral 
would  do  them  every  kindness  in  his  power,  which  he 
would  acknowledge  as  an  obligation  conferred  upO7i 
himself. 

They  arrived  at  the  settlement  of  Johannes  Brinch,  nt 
Stallen  Bush,  on  the  third  or  fourth  day,  after  travelling; 
R  country  highly  cultivated,  and  producing  irnmese  fur 
*^f s  of  the  aloe-tree.     The  fanners  live  here  in  affluence, 


£8  LOSS  OF,  &e. 

and  the  crew  continued  to  experience  the  most 

and  kind  attention  during  the  remainder  of  their  journey. 

On  their  arrival  at  Stallen  Bush,  the  captain  waited  on 
Mr.  Brinch,  whose  reception  can  never  be  mentioned 
but  in  terms  of  the  most  fervent  gratitude  and  esteem. 
His  residence  is  one  of  those  delightful  places  which, 
from  its  natural  situation  and  fertility,  wraps  the  behold- 
er, the  moment  he  sees  it,  in  a  kind  of  extacy.  The 
vines  there,  are  reared  with  great  attention,  and  are  high- 
ly productive.  Grain,  vegetation,  and  fruits,  yield  abund- 
ant crops  ;  and  camphire-trees  of  very  large  dimen- 
sions thrive  also  in  the  settlement.  Indeed,  the  whol 
settlement  seemed  to  be  so  precicely  what  it  should 
that  any  alteration  must  be  a  deformity.  The  people 
here  dress  well,  but  nearer  the  English  than  the  Dutch 
style.  They  have  nothing  of  that  sullen  taciturnity  be- 
longing to  the  character  of  the  Hollander ;  but  are  spright- 
ly and  good  humored. 

"  I  remained  two  days  (says  the  captain)  under  the  roof 
of  this  liberal  and  benevolent  gentleman.  He  pressed 
me  to  stay  longer ;  but  I  was  desirous  of  reaching 
the  Cape,  and  therefore  declined  his  hospitable  invita- 
tion. In  the  morning,  therefore,  he  provided  me  with 
a  horse  and  guide,  and  I  took  my  departure  from  Stallen 
Bush,  on  the  30th,  in  the  morning.  Our  journey  was 
but  short,  as  we  arrived  the  same  evening  at  the  Cape  of 
Good  Hope  ;  and  although  emaciated  in  rny  frame,  yet 
in  tolerable  health. ". 


i.9 


LOSS  OP 

THE  GROSVENOR  INDIAMAN, 

ON    TUB    COAST    OP    CAFFRARIA,   AVGUST  4,    17 82  J 

' 

With  the  Particulars  relative  to  the  Unfortunate  Survivors 
of  the  Wreck. 


J-N  the  melancholy  catalogue  of  human  woes, 
few  things  appear  more  eminently  disastrous  than  the 
general  fate  of  the  Grosvenor's  crew.  Shipwreck  is  al- 
ways, even  in  its  mildest  form,  a  calamity  which  fills 
the  mind  with  horror  ;  but,  what  is  instant  death,  com- 
pared to  the  situation  of  those  who  had  hunger,  thirst, 
and  nakedness  to  contend  with  ;  who  only  escaped  the 
fury  of  the  waves  to  enter  into  conflicts  with  the  savages 
of  the  forest,  or  the  greater  savages  of  the  human  race ; 
who  were  cut  off  from  all  civilized  society,  and  felt  the 
prolongation  of  life  to  be  only  the  lengthened  pains  of 
death  ? 

The  Grosvenor  sailed  from  Trinicomale,  June  13th, 
1782,  on  her  homeward  bound  voyage,  and  met  with 
no  memorable  occurrence  till  the  4th  of  August,  the 
fatal  day  on  which  she  went  on  shore. 

During  the  two  preceding  days  it  had  blown  very  hard, 
the  sky  was  overcast,  so  that  they  were  unable  to  IK 
an  observation ;  and  it  is  likewise  probable,  that  from 
their  vicinity  to  the  shore,  they  had  been  earned  out  of 
their  course  by  currents.  The  combination  of  these  cir- 
cumstances may  account  for  the  error  in  their  reckoning-, 
which  occasioned  the  loss  of  the  ship.  It  appears  that 
Captain  Coxson  had  declared,  a  few  hours  before  the 
disaster  took  place,  that  he  computed  the  snip  to  be  at 


60  LOSS  or  THE 

least  one  hundred  leagues  from  the  nearest  land,  and 
this  opinion  lulled  them  into  a  false  security. 

John  Hynes,  one  of  the  survivors,  being  aloft  with 
«ome  others,  in  the  night-watch,  saw  breakers  ahead, 
and  asked  his  companions  if  they  did  not  think  land 
was  near.  In  this  opinion  they  all  coincided,  and  has- 
tened to  inform  the  third  mate,  who  was  the  officer  of 
the  watch.  The  infatuated  young  man  only  laughed  at 
their  apprehensions  ;  upon  which  one  of  them  ran  to  the 
cabin  to  acquaint  the  captain,  who  instantly  ordered  to 
wear  ship.  But  before  this  could  be  accomplished,  her 
keel  struck  with  great  force  ;  in  an  instant  every  person 
ton  board  hastened  on  the  deck,  and  apprehension  and 
horror  were  impressed  on  every  countenance. 

The  captain  endeavored  to  dispel  the  fears  of  the  pas- 
sengers, arid  begged  them  to  be  composed.  The  pumps 
were  sounded,  but  no  water  found  in  the  hold,  as  the 
ship's  stern  lay  high  on  the  rocks.  In  a  few  minutes  the 
wind  blew  off  the  shore,  which  filled  them  with  appre- 
hensions lest  they  should  be  driven  out  to  sea,  and  thus 
lose  the  only  chance  they  had  of  escaping.  The  powder 
room  was  by  this  time  full  of  water,  the  masts  were  cut 
away,  without  any  effect,  and  the  ship  being  driven 
within  a  cable's  length  of  the  shore,  all  hopes  of  saving 
her  vanished. 

This  dismal  prospect  produced  distraction  and  des- 
pair, and  it  is  impossible  to  describe  the  scene  that  cn- 
sued.  Those  who  were  most  composed  set  about 
forming  a  raft,  hoping  by  means  of  it,  to  convey  the  wo- 
men, the  children,  and  the  sick,  to  land.  Meanwhile 
three  men  attempted  to  swim  to  the  shore  with  the  deep- 
sea-line  ;  one  perished  in  the  attempt,  but  the  oth<  •  two 
succeeded.  By  these  a  hawser  was,  at  length,  carried 
to  the  snore  arid  fastened  round  the  rocks,  in  which 
ration  they  were  assisted  by  great  numbers  of  the 
s,  who  had  come  down  to  the  water's  edge  to  wit- 
ness the  uncommon  sight.- 

The  raft  bein^  by  this  time  completed,  was  launched 
overboard,  and  four  men  got  upon  it  to  assist  [he  kulios  ; 
but  they  had  scarcely  taken  tluir  station  before  the  haw- 
ser, which  was  fastened  around  it,  snapped  in  two,  by 
h  accident  it  was  upset,  and  t&iee  of  the  men 


$ROSV£XOR   1NDIAMAN.  <H 

Downed.  In  this  dilemma,  every  one  began  to  think  oi* 
th^  best  means  of  saving  himself.  The  yaw  I  and  jolly- 
boat  had  already  been  dashed  to  pieces  by  the  violence  of 
the  surf;  so  that  the  only  means  of  preservation  now 
left  was  by  the  hawser  made  fast  to  the  rocks,  hand  over 
hand.  Several  got  safe  on  shore  in  this  manner,  while 
others,  to  the  number  of  fifteen,  perished  in  the  difficult 
attempt. 

The  ship  soon  separated  just  before  the  main  mast. 
The  wind,  at  the  same  time,  providentially  shifted  to  the 
old  quarter,  and  blew  directly  to  the  land,  a  circumstance 
which  contributed  greatly  to  the  preservation  of  those 
on  board,  who  all  got  on  the  poop,  as  being  nearest  to  the 
shore.  The  wind  and  surges  now  impelling  them,  that 
part  of  the  wreck,  on  which  the  people  were,  rent  asun- 
der fore  and  aft,  the  deck  splitting  in  two.  In  this  distress 
they  crowded  upon  the  starboard  quarter,  which  soon 
floated  into  shoal  water,  the  other  parts  of  the  wreck 
breaking  off  those  heavy  seas  which  would  otherwise  have 
ingulphed  or  dashed  them  to  pieces.  Through  this  for- 
tunate incident,  all  on  board,  even  the  ladies  and  chil- 
dren, got  safe  on  shore,  except  the  cook's  mate,  a  black, 
who  being  drunk,  could  not  be  prevailed  upon  to  leave 
the  wreck. 

Before  this  arduous  business  was  well  effected  night 
came  on,  and  the  natives  having  retired,  several  fii-eu  were 
lighted  with  fuel  from  the  wreck,  and  the  whole  company 
supped  on  such  provisions  as  they  picked  up  on  the  shore. 
Two  tents  were  formed  of  sails  that  had  drifted  to  thr 
e,  and  in  these  the  ladies  were  left  to  repose,  while 
the  men  wandered  about  ia  search  of  such  artick 
be  of  service. 

GJI  the  morning  of  the  5th,  the  natives  returned,  and, 
•without  ceremony,  carried  off  whatever  suited  their  fan- 
cy. This  conduct  excited  a  thousand  apprehensions 
particularly  in  the  minds  of  the  females,  for  their 
safety ;  but  observing  that  the  savages  contented  them- 
selves with  plunder,  their  fears  were  somewhat  allayed. 

The  next  day  was  employed  in  collecting  together  all 
the  articles  that  might   be  useful  in  their  journey  to  the 
(Jape,  to  which  they  imprudently  resolved  to  direct  tlieii- 
,1  resolution  which  involved  them  in  cc-ir : 
F 


62  LOSS    OF   THE 

ted  misery,  and  which  can  be  justified  by  no  wise  princi- 
ple. From  the  wreck  they  might  easily  have  built  H 
vessel  capable  of  containing  them  alJ,  and  by  coasting 
along,  they  might  have  reached  the  nearest  of  the  Dutch 
settlements  with  half  the  danger  or  risk  to  which  they 
were  then  exposing  themselves.  Distress,  however, 
sometimes  deprives  men  of  all  presence  of  mind  ;  so  the 
crew  of  the  Grosvenor,  having  just  escaped  the  dangers 
of  the  sea,  appear  to  have  considered  land  as  the  most 
desirable  alternative,  without  reflecting  on  the  almost  in- 
superable obstacles  that  lay  in  their  way. 

On  examining  their  stores,  they  found  themselves  in 
possession  of  two  casks  of  flour  and  a  tub  of  pork,  that 
had  been  washed  on  the  beach,  and  some  arrack,  which 
the  captain  prudently  ordered  to  be  staved,  lest  the  na- 
tives should  get  at  it,  and  by  intoxication  increase  their 
natuaral  ferocity. 

Captain  Coxson  now  called  together  the  survivors,  and 
having  divided  the  provisions  among  them,  asked  if  they 
<  onscnted  to  his  continuing  in  the  command,  to  which 
they  unanimously  agreed.  He  then  informed  them,  that 
from  the  best  calculation  he  could  make,  he  was  in  hopes 
of  being  able  to  reach  some  of  the  Dutch  settlements  in 
fifteen  or  sixteen  days.  In  this  calculation  the  captain 
,robably  not  much  mistaken.  Subsequent  observa- 
tions prove  that  the  Grosvenor  must  have  been  wrecked 
between  the  27th  and  28th  degree  of  south  latitude ;  and 
as  the  Dutch  colonies  extend  beyond  the  31st  degree, 
they  might  have  accomplished  the  journey  within  the 
time  specified,  had  not  rivers  intervened  and  retarded 
their  progress. 

Every  thing  being  arranged,  they  set  out  on  their  jour- 
ney on  the  7th,  leaving  behind  only  an  old  East-India 
soldier,  who  being  lame,  preferred  trusting  himself  to  the 
natives  till  some  more  favorable  opportunity  of  getting 
jMy  should  present  itself;  adding,  that  he  might  as  well 
die  with  i hem  as  end  his  life  on  the  way  with  pain  and 
hunger. 

As  they  moved  forward  they  were  followed  by  some 
of  the  natives,  while  others  remained  at  the  wreck. 
Those  who  accompanied  them  plundered  them,  from 
time  to  time,  of  whatever  they  liked,  and  sometimes 


GROSVENOR    INDIA3IAS.  C3 

Oarew  stones  at  them.  After  proceeding  a  few  miles  they 
were  met  by  a  party  of  about  thirty  of  the  natives,  whose 
hair  was  fastened  up  in  a  comical  farm,  and  their  faces 
painted  red.  Among  these  was  a  man  who  spoke  Dutch, 
who,  it  afterwards  appeared,  was  a  run-away  slave  from 
the  Cape,  on  account  of  some  crimes,  and  was  named 
Trout.  When  this  man  came  up  to  the  English  he  in- 
quired who  they  were,  and  whither  they  were  -going. 
Finding  by  their  answers  that  they  had  been  cast  a 
he  informed  them,  that  their  intended  journey  to  the  Cape 
urouJd  be  attended  with  unspeakable  difficulties  from  the 
natives,  the  wild  beasts,  and  the  nature  of  the  country 
through  which  they  Would  have  1o  pass. 

Though  this  did  not  contribute  to  raise  their  spirits 
they  tried  to  engage  him  as  a  guide,  but  no  arguments 
could  prevail  upon  him  to  comply  with  their  wishes. 
Finding  all  their  solicitations  fruitless,  they  pursued  their 
journey  for  four  or  five  days,  during  which  they  were 
constantly  surrounded  by  the  natives,  who  took  from 
them  whatever  they  pleased,  but  invariably  retired  on 
the  approach  of  night. 

As  they  proceeded  they  saw  many  villages,  which  they 
carefully  avoided,  that  they  might  be  less  exposed  to  the 
insults  of  the  natives.  At  length  they  came  to  a  deep 
gully,  where  they  were  met  by  three  Caffrees,  armed 
with  lances,  which  they  held  several  times  ti  the  cap- 
tain's throat.  Irritated  beyond  ail  patience  by  their  con- 
duct, he  wrenched  one  of  the  lances  from  their  hand* 
and  broke  it.  Of  this  the  natives  seemed  to  take  no  no- 
tice, and  went  away  ;  but  the  next  day,  on  coming  to  a 
large  village,  they  there  found  the  three  men,  wi;h  three 
.  or  four  hundred  of  their  countrymen,  al!  armed  with  lan- 
ces and  targets.  As  the  English  advanced  they  were 
stopped  by  these  people,  who  began  to  pilfer  and  insult 
them,  and  at  last  fell  upon  and  beat  them. 

Conceiving  that  it  was  the  intention  of  the  natives  to 
kill  them,  they  formed  a  resolution  to  defend  themselves 
to  the  last  extremity.  Accordingly,  placing  the  women, 
the  children,  and  the  sick  at  some  distance,  the  remain 
der,  to  the  number  of  eighty  or  ninety,  engaged  their  op- 
ponents in  a  kind  of  running  fight  for  upwards  cf  hvo 
hours,  when  our  countrymen  gaming  an  eminence,  where 


04  LCSS    OF    THE 

they  could  not  be  surrounded,  a  kind  of  parley  took 
place.  In  this  unfortunate  encounter  many  were  wound- 
ed on  both  sides,  but  none  killed.  After  a  pacification 
bad  taken  place,  the  English  cut  the  buttons  from  their 
coats,  and  presented  them  to  the  natives,  upon  which 
they  went  away  and  returned  no  more. 

The  following  night  they  were  terrified  with  the  noise 
of  wild  beasts,  so  that  the  men  were  obliged  to  keep 
watch-  to  prevent  their  too  near  approach.  What  a  dread- 
ful situation,  especially  for  females  of  delicate  habits,  and 
so  lately  possessing  all  the  luxuries  that  eastern  refine- 
ment could  afford ! 

When  morning  arrived  they  were  again  joined  by 
Trout,  who  had  been  on  board  the  wreck,  and  had  loaded 
himself  with  various  articles  of  iron  and  copper,  which 
he  was  carrying  to  his  habitation.  He  cautioned  them 
against  making  any  resistance  in  future,  for  as  they  were 
not  furnished  with  any  weapons  of  defence,  opposition 
would  only  tend  to  irritate  the  natives  and  increase  ob- 
structions. With  this  advice  he  left  them. 

Having  made  some  progress  during  the  day,  they 
agreed  to  pass  the  night  near  a  deep  gully,  but  were  so 
distnrbcd  by  the  bowlings  of  wild  beasts  that  they  could 
get  but  little  sleep.  Though  a  large  fire  was  kept  up  to 
intimidate  these  unwelcome  visitors,  they  came  so  near 
as  to  occasion  a  general  alarm. 

The  next  day  as  they  were  advancing,  a  party  of  na- 
tives came  down  upon  them,  and  plundered  them, 
among  other  things,  of  their  tinder-box,  flint,  and  steel, 
which  proved  an  irreparable  loss.  They  were  now 
rsbligrd  to  carry  with  them  a  fire-brand  by  turns,  the  na- 
tives following  them  until  it  was  almost  dark.  At  length 
they  came  to  a  small  river,  where  they  determined  to 
stop  during  the  night.  Before  the  natives  retired  they 
became  more  insolent  than  ever,  robbing  the  gentlemen 
of  their  watches,  and  the  ladies  of  the  diamonds  which 
they  had  secreted  in  their  hair.  Opposition  was  in  vain ; 
the  attempt  to  resist  these  outrages  being  productive  of 
fresh  insults,  and  even  blows. 

The  following  day  they  crossed  the  river.  Here  their 
provisions  being  nearly  expended,  and  the  delay  and 
fatigue  occasioned  by  travelling  with  the  wgmcn  and 


GROSVENOR    INDIAMAN,  65 

Children  being  very  great,  the  sailors  began  to  niurmcr, 
and  each  seemed  resolved  to  shift  lor  himself.  Accord- 
ingly the  captain,  with  Mr.  Logic,  the  first  mate,  and  h^ 
wife ;  the  third  mate,  Colonel  James  and  Lady,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Hosea,  Mr.  Newman,  a  passenger,  the  purser,  the 
surgeon,  and  five  of  the  children,  agreed  to  keep  together, 
and  travel  as  before  ;  many  of  the  sailors  were  a!so  pre- 
vailed upon  to  attend  them,  by  the  liberal  promises  of 
the  passengers. 

On  the  other   hand,  Mr.  Shaw,  the  second  mate,  Mr. 
Trotter,  the  Fourth,  Mr.  Harris,  the  fifth,  Captain  Talbot, 
Messrs.  Williams  and  Taylor,  M.   D'Espinette,    several 
other  gentlemen,   and   their  servants,    together  with   a 
number  of  the  seamen,  in  all  forty-three  persons,  among 
whom  was   Hynes,    from  whom  much  information  was 
afterwards  obtained,    resolved    to   hasten  forward.      A 
young  gentleman  of  the  name  of  Law,  seven  or  < 
years  of  age,  crying  after  one  of  the  passengers, 
agreed  to  take  him  with   them,  and  vo   cany   hiu 
tarns  when  tired. 

This  separation  was    equally  fatal,  cruel,  and   impo- 
litic ;    however,  the   second   mate's    party   ha^ : 

,kcd  by  a  river,  they  once  more  joined  with   g 
.action,  and  travelled  in  company  the  whole  of 
day  and  part  of  the  next. 

They  now  arrived  at  a  large  village,  where  they  found 
Trout,  who  introduced  his  wife  and  child  to  them.  ;.i.«d 
begged  a  piece  of  pork.  He  informed  them  that 
was  his  residence,  and  repeated  his  former  declaration, 
that  the  natives  would  not  suffer  him  to  depart,  even  if 
be  were  inclined  to  return  to  his  own  country.  He  how- 
ever, communicated  various  articles  of  information  rela- 
tive to  their  journey,  for  which  they  made  due  acknow- 
ledgements ;  but  it  is  to  be  lamented,  that  he  could  not 
be  induced  to  extend  his  services,  or  rather,  thc-t 
crimes  and  character  rendered  him  dangerous  to  be 
trusted,  and  fearful  of  trusting  himself  among  Christians. 

During  their  conversation  with  Trout  the  natives  sur- 

:eci  then?  in  numbers,  and  continued  to  follow  them 

•sk.     The  two  companies  passed  the  night  together, 

.      c:?{ih!  t...  have  been  the  bond  of 

P2 


.  LOSS  OR  ME 

unity,  was  unfortunately  perverted  into  an  occasion  lor 
disaffection  and  complaint. 

Their  provisions  running  very  short,  a  party  went 
down  to  the  sea-side  to  seek  for  shell-fish  on  the  rocks, 
and  found  a  considerable  quantity  of  oysters,  muscles, 
and  limpets.  These  were  divided  among  the  women, 
the  children,  and  the  sick;  for  the  tide  happening  to 
come  in  before  they  had  collected  a  sufficient  stock, 
some  of  the  wretched  troop  were  obliged  to  put  up  with 
a  very  scanty  allowance.  After  a  repast,  which  rather 
oxcited  than  gratified  their  appetites,  they  continued 
their  march,  and  about  noon  reached  a  small  village, 
where  an  old  man  approached  them,  armed  with  a  lance, 
which  he  levelled,  making,  at  the  same  time,  a  noise 
somewhat  resembling  the  report  of  a  musket.  From 
this  circumstance,  it  is  probable,  he  was  acquainted  with 
the  use  of  fire  arms,  and  apprehended  they  would  kill  his 
cuttle,  for  he  immediately  drove  his  herd  into  the  kraall  ; 
an  indosure,  wheie  they  are  always  secured  upon  the 
appearance  of  danger,  arid  during  the  night.  The  old 
man  took  no  farther  notice  of  the  English,  but  they  were 
followed  by  some  of  the  other  inhabitants  of  the  village, 
who  behaved  extremely  ill. 

The  final  separation  now  took  place  ;  they  parted  to 
meet  no  more.  In  adopting  this  resolution  they  appear 
to  have  been  influenced  by  motives  which  had,  at  least, 
the  specious  appearance  of  reason. .  They  conceived, 
that  by  pursuing  different  routes,  and  travelling  in  small 
parties,  they  should  be  less  the  object  of  jealously  to 
the  natives,  and  could  the  more  easily  procure  subsis- 
tence. To  counterbalance  these  advantages,  however, 
they  lost  that  unity  of  action,  that  systematic  direction, 
which  a  prudent  superior  can  communicate  to  those  un- 
der his  care  ;  and  by  rejecting  established  authority,  they 
soon  split  into  parties,  guided  ostiy  by  caprice,  and  sway- 
ed by  temporary  views.  After  all,  they  did  not  part 
without  evincing  those  emotions  so  honorable  to  human 
nature  :  their  misfortunes  had,  in  some  measure,  levelled 
distinctions,  and  the  services  of  the  lowest  were  regarded 
as  tokens  of  friendship,  not  expressions  of  duty. 

From  this  period  the  fate  of  the  captain,  and  his  asso- 
ciates, is  almost  wholly  unknown.  But  imagination 


GROSVENOR   INDIA-MAN.  07 

cannot  form  a  scene  of  deeper  distress  than  what  the 
delicate  and  tender  sex,  and  the  innocent  children  must 
have  experienced.  From  the  accounts  of  some  of  the 
party  who  survived  their  distresses  and  subsequent  in- 
quiries, it  is  probable,  that  the  hand  of  death  b*oon  re- 
leased them  from  their  accumulated  ills  ;  though  the 
public  mind  was  long  harrassed  with  the  belief  that  a 
few  had  been  doomed  to  worse  than  death  among  the 
natives. 

The  Reparation  being  decided  upon,  the  party  whicli 
had  attached  itself  to  the  second  mate,  travelled  till  it 
was  quite  dark,  when,  arriving  at  a  convenient  spot,  they 
kindled  a  nre  and  reposed  for  the  night. 

Next  day  they  proceeded,  as  they  conjectured,  thirty 
miles ;  and  though  they  saw  great  numbers  of  the  na- 
tives they  received  from  them  not  the  least  molesta- 
tion. Towards  the  close  of  the  day,  they  reached  an 
extensive  wood,  and  being  fearful  of  entering  it,  lest 
they  might  loose  their  way,  they  spent  a  restless  night 
on  its  verge,  being  terribly  alarmed  by  the  howling  of 
wild  beasts. 

They  continued  their  route  the  following  day  till  noon, 
without  any  other  food  than  wild  sorrel  and  such  berries 
as  they  observed  the  birds  to  peck  at.  None  of  the 
natives  made  their  appearance  ;  the  wanderers  having 
reached  a  point  of  the  rocks,  found  some  shell-fish,  and 
after  refreshing  themselves  they  advanced  tiil  they  came 
to  the  banks  of  a  targe  river  where  they  reposed. 

Next  morning,  finding  the  river  very  broad  and  deep, 
and  several  of  the  company  being  unable  to  swim,  they 
resolved  to  follow  its  windings,  and  seek  some  place 
where  it  was  fordable.  In  their  way  they  passed  ma- 
ny villages,  the  inhabitants  of  which  were  too  much 
alarmed  to  yield  them  any  assistance.  Pursuing  the 
course  of  the  river  a  considerable  way,  and  not  finding 
it  become  narrower,  they  determined  to  construct  cata- 
marans, a  kind  of  raft,  in  order  to  cross  it.  This  being 
effected,  with  such  materials  as  they  found  on  the  banks, 
those  who  <•  w,  'd  not  swim  were  placed  upon  the  float, 
which  being;  impelled  by  the  others,  they  all  crossed  it 
.fety,  though  the  river  \vas  computed  to  be  not  Lr?s 
u  i\\Q  xi;5.!cs  over. 


68  LOSS    OF   THE 

It  was  now  thro  2  days  since  they  had  left  the  sea,  and 
during  that  period  they  had  scarcely  taken  any  nourish 
rncnt  but  water  and  a  little  wild  sorrel.  They  therefore 
again  directed  their  course  to  the  shore,  where  they  W<TP 
fortunate  enough  to  find  abundance  of  shell-fish,  which 
afforded  them  a  very  seasonable  refreshment. 

After  following  the  trendings  of  the  coast  for  three  or 
four  days,  during  which  the  natives  suffered  them  to  pass 
without  molestation,  penetrating  a  pathless  wood,  where, 
perhaps,  no  human  being  ever  trod,  uncertain  which  way 
to  proceed,  incommoded  by  the  heat,  and  exhausted  by 
the  fatigues  of  their  march,  they  were  almost  read}  t:> 
.sink,  when  they  reached  the  summit  of  a  hill.  Here  they 
rested,  and  had  the  satisfaction  to  see  a  spacious  plain  be- 
fore them,  through  which  a  fine  stream  meandered.  As 
the  wild  beasts,  however,  were  accustomed,  in  their  noc- 
turnal prowlings  to  resort  to  this  place  for  water,  the  situa- 
tion of  the  travellers  was  perilous,  and  subject  to  contin- 
ual alarms. 

In  the  morning  one  of  the  party  ascened  a  lofty  tree  to 
observe  the  trendings  of  the  coast,  after  which  they  resu- 
med their  course,  and  entered  another  wood  jubt  as  the 
uight.set  in.  Having  passed  it  by  paths  which  the  wild 
beasts  alone  had  made,  they  again  reached  the  sea  coast. 
Here  they  made  fires,  which,  after  the  fatigues  they  I«ad 
undergone,  was  a  toilsome  business,  and  threw  into  them 
the  oysters  they  had  collected,  to  make  them  open,  v* 
they  had  not  a  single  knife  remaining  among  them.  On 
this  spot  they  reposed,  but  found  no  water. 

Next  day,  the  wanderers,  in  the  course  of  their  journey, 
had  the  good  fortune  to  discover  a  dead  whale,  v 
sicrht  in  their  present  situation,  afforded  them  no  little 
satisfaction.  The  want  of  a  knife  to  cut  it  up  prevented 
them  from  taking  full  advantage  of  this  accidental  sup- 
ply ;  some  of  them,  though  in  the  extremity  of  hunger, 
nauseated  this  food :  while  others,  making  a  fire  on  the 
.carcase,  dug  out  the  part  thus  roasted,  with  oyster-shells, 
and  made  a  hearty  meal. 

A  fine  ievel  country  now  presented  it?'  x  the  sight  of 
which  caused  them  to  believe  that  their  fatigue- 
a  termination,  and  that  they  had  reached  the  no; 
most  part  of  the  the  Dutch 'colonies.     Here  new  d,- 


GROSVESOP,    IXDIAMAK-  6$' 

sions  arose,  some  advising  (hat  they  should  peneirate  in- 
land, while  others  persevered  in  the  original  plan  of  keep- 
ing in  the  vicinity  of  the  sea-coast. 

After  many  disputes  another 'division  of  the  party  toojv 
place.  Mr.  Shaw,  the  fourth  mate,  Mr.  Harris,  the  fifth, 
Messrs.  Williams  and  Taylor,  Capt.  Talbot,  and  seamen, 
to  the  number  of  twenty- two  persons,  among  whom  was 
Hynes,  the  reporter,  resolved  to  proceed  inland.  The 
carpenter,  the  ship's  steward,  M.  d'Espinette,  M.  Olivier, 
with  about  twenty-four  seamen,  continued  to  follow  the 
ahore. 

The  party  which  took  the  interior  proceeded  for  three 
days  through  a  very  pleasant  country,  where  they  saw  a 
great  number  of  deserted  kraalls.  During  this  time  they 
had  nothing  to  subsist  on  but  a  few  oysters,  which  they 
carried  with  them,  and  some  berries  and  wild  sorrel  gath- 
ered on  the  way.  The  effects  of  hunger  soon  compelled 
them  to  return  to  the  coast,  where,  as  usual,  they  found 
a  supply  of  shell-fish.  As  they  were  proceeding  up  a 
steep  hill,  soon  after  their  separation,  Capt.  Talbot  com- 
plained of  great  lassitude,  and  repeatedly  sat  down  to 
rest  himself.  The  company  several  times  indulged  him 
by  doing  the  same ;  but  perceiving  that  he  was  quite  ex- 
hausted, they  went  on,  leaving  him  and  his  faithful  ser- 
vant, Blair,  silting  beside  each  other,  and  neither  of  them 
were  heard  of  any  more. 

Having  reposed  \i<>nr  the  shore  the  next  day,  about 
noon,  they  arrived  at  a  small  river,  where  they  found  tv/o 
cjf  the  carpenter's  party,  who,  being  unable  to  swim,  had 
been  left  behind.  The  joy  of  these  poor  creatures,  at 
the  sight  of  their  comrades  was  excessive.  They  were 
preserved  since  they  had  been  in  this  place,  r.l:nost  by  a 
miracle,  for  while  they  were  gathering  shell-fish  on  the 
beach,  their  fire  went  ou!,  so  that  it  WHS  wonderful  how 
they  escaped  being  devoured  by  the  wild  be; 

They  were  with  difficulty  got  over  the  river,  and  i 
clling  on  for  four  days  'iiore  the  party  came  to  another 
river,  of  such  breadth  that  none  of  them  would  attempt 
to  pass  it.  Having  no  alternative,  they  marched  along  its 
banks  in  hopes  of  finding  a  practicable  passage,  and  arriv- 
ed at  a  village,  where  the  natives  shewed  them  tho 
de  of  a  watch,  which  some  cf  the  carpent* 


70        9  LOSS    OP   THE 

had  given  for  a  little  milk.  Mr.  Shaw  conceiving  that 
such  a  traffic  would  not  be  unacceptable,  offered  them 
the  inside  of  his  watch  for  a  calf.  To  these  terms  they 
assented,  but  no  sooner  had  they  obtained  possession  of 
the  price  than  they  withheld  the  calf,  which  was  imme- 
diately driven  out  of  the  village. 

They  continued  their  march  along  the  river  for  several 
clays,  and  passed  through  several  villages  without  moles- 
tation from  the  inhabitants,  till  they  came  to  a  part  where 
they  conceived  they  should  be  able  to  cross.  Having 
constructed  a  catamaran,  as  before,  they  all  passed  the 
river  in  safety,  excepting  the  two  who  had  been  left  be- 
hind by  the  carpenter's  party,  and  who  were  afraid  to 
venture.  These  unfortunate  men  were  never  seen  af- 
terwards. 

Having  gained  the  opposite  bank,  the  company  now 
proceeded,  in  an  oblique  direction,  towards  the  shore, 
which  they  reached  about  noon  on  the  third  day.  The 
next  morning,  at  the  ebbing  of  the  tide,  they  procured 
some  shell-fish,  and  having  refreshed  themselves,  they 
pursued  their  journey. 

In  the  course  of  that  day's  march  they  fell  in  with  a 
party  of  the  natives,  belonging,  as  they  imagined,  to  a 
new  nation,  by  whom  they  were  beaten,  and  extremely 
ill  treated.  To  avoid  their  persecutions  they  concealed 
themselves  in  the  woods  till  the  savages  had  retired,  when 
they  assembled  again  and  resumed  their  march.  They 
had  not  proceeded  far  before  they  perceived  the  prints  of 
human  feet  in  the  sand,  from  which  they  concluded  that 
their  late  companions  were  before  them.  In  the  hope  of 
rejoining  them  they  traced  their  supposed  footsteps  for  a 
while,  but  soon  lost  them  among  the  rocks  and  gra 

After  some  time  they  came  to  another  river,  not  very 
broad,  but  of  considerable  depth,  which  they  passed  in 
safety  on  a  catamaran,  r.s  before.  Nothing  remarkable 
occurred  during  the  three  following  days ;  but  at  the  ex- 
piration of  that  period  they  ovenook  the  carpenter's  party, 
whose  sufferings  they  found  had  been  even  more  severe 
than  their  own.  The  carpenter  himself  had  been  poi- 
soned  by  eating  some  kind  of  fruit,  with  the  nature  of 
which  he  was  unacquainted :  M.  d'Espinette,  and  M.  Oli- 
vier, worn  out  wifn  farfiine  and  fatigue,  had  been  left  to 


(6ROSVENCR   1NDIAHAN.  71 

fate.  The  unfortunate  little  traveller,  Law,  was  still 
with  them,  and  had  hitherto  supported  every  hardship  in 
an  astonishing  manner. 

Thus  once  more%united  they  proceeded  together  till 
they  came  to  a  sandy  beach,  where  they  found  a  couple  of 
planks  with  a  spike  nail  in  each.  This  convinced  them 
that  some  European  ships  had  been  near  the  coast,  or 
that  they  were  in  the  vicinity  of  some  settlement.  The 
nails  were  prizes  of  the  first  consequence ;  these  being 
flattened  between  two  stones,  were  shaped  into  some- 
thing like  knives,  and,  to  men  in  their  situation,  were  con- 
sidered a  most  valuable  acquisition. 

In  a  ahort  time  they  came  to  another  river,  on  whose 
banks  they  accidentally  found  fresh  water,  which  induced 
them  to  rest  there  for  the  night.  In  the  morning,  they 
crossed  the  river,  and  on  examining  the  sea-shore  they 
found  another  dead  whale,  which  diffused  a  general  joy, 
till  a  large  party  of  natives,  armed  with  lances  Ccine 
down  upon  them.  These  people,  however,  perceiving 
the  deplorable  condition  of  the  travellers,  conducted 
themselves  in  such  a  pacific  manner  as  to  dispel  their  ap- 
prehensions. One  of  them  even  lent  those  who  were 
employed  upon  the  whale,  his  lance,  by  means  of  which, 
and  their  two  knives,  they  cut  it  into  junks,  and  carried 
off  a  considerable  quantity,  till  they  could  find  wood  and 
water  to  dress  it. 

On  coining  to  a  river  the  following  day,  another  of  the 
parly  dropped,  and  they  were  ur'kT  the  cruel  necessity 
of  leaving  him  behind.  Having  plenty  of  provisions  they 
now  proceeded  four  days  without  intermission,  and  pro- 
curing a  stick,  they  set  about  making  a  kind  of  calendar, 
by  cutting  a  notch  for  every  day;  but,  in  crossing  a  river, 
this  register  of  time  was  lost,  and  the  care  they  had  taken 
to  compute  their  melancholy  days  was  of  no  avail. 

They  soon  reached  a  new  river,  where  they  halted  for 
the  night.  The  frequent  impediments  of  rivers  much  re- 
tarded their  progress.  Few  of  these,  however,  are  of 
very  great  magnitude  at  any  distance  from  the  sea ;  but 
as  the  waves  derived  all  their  subsistence  from  the  watery 
element  they  were  obliged  to  submit  to  the  inconvenience 
of  passing  them  in  general  where  the  tide  flowed.  This 
will  account  for  difficulties,  from  which,  had  it  been  prac- 


72  t9SS    t»   THE 

tieable,   a  more  inland  course  would  have  exempted 
them. 

As  the  weather  was  very  unfavorable  next  morning, 
some  of  the  company  were  afraid  to' cross  the  river,  upon 
which  Hynes,  and  about  ten  more,  being  impatient  to 
proceed,  swam  across,  leaving  the  rest,  among  whom 
was  master  Law,  behind  them.  Having  gained  the  op- 
posite shore,  they  proceeded  till  they  came  to  a  place 
where  they  met  with  shell-fish,  wood,  and  water.  Here 
they  halted  two  days,  in  expectation  of  the  arrival  of 
the  others  ;  but  as  it  still  blew  fresh,  they  concluded  that 
their  more  timorous  companions  had  not  ventured  to  cross 
the  river  ;  therefore  thinking  it  in  vain  to  wait  any  longer, 
they  went  forward. 

They  had  not  travelled  many  hours  before  they  had 
the  ar<od  fortune  to  discover  a  dead  seal  on  the  beach. 
One  of  she  knives  being  in  the  possession  of  this  party, 
they  cut  up  their  prejr,  dressed  part  of  the  flesh  on  the 
spot  and  carried  the  rest  with  them. 

The  next  morning  the  party  left  behind  overtook  them. 
It  was  now  conducted  by  the  ship's  steward,  and  in  the 
interval  from  the  recent  separation,  it  appeared  that  they 
had  suffered  extremely  from  the  natives,  from  hunger, 
and  fatigue,  and  that  five  of  them  were  no  more.  Thus 
these  unfortunate  men  were  rapidly  losing  some  of  their 
body ;  yet  the  reflection  of  their  forlorn  condition  did 
not  rouse  them  to  the  good  effects  of  unanimity,  which 
alone,  had  it  been  either  a  permanent  principle,  or  en- 
forced by  an  authority  to  which  they  ought  to  have  sub- 
mitted, might  have  saved  them  many  distresses,  and 
would  have  tended  to  the  preservation  of  numbers.  Con- 
cord is  always  strength ;  the  contrary,  even  in  the  hap- 
piest circumstances,  is  weakness  and  ruin. 

Having  shared  the  remainder  of  the  seal  among  them, 
and  taken  some  repose,  they  again  proceeded  in  one 
body,  and  after  some  time  came  to  a  lofty  mountain, 
which  it  was  necessary  to  cross,  or  go  round  the  bluff 
point  of  a  rock  on  which  the  surf  beat  With  great  vio- 
lence. The  latter  appearing  to  be  much  the  shortest 
passage,  they  chose  it,  but  had  reason  to  repent  their 
determination,  as  they  l»ad  a  miraculous  escape  with 
•'-o.mc  of  them  jiot.  only  lest  their  provi; 


trROSVENOR   INDIAMAN.  /•> 

but  their  fire-brands,  which  they  had   hitheto  carefully 
earned  with  them,  were  extinguished  by  the  waves. 

Dispirited  by  this  essential  loss,  which  was  their  chief 
protection  from  the  wild  beasts,  they  felt  the  misery  of 
their  situation  with  aggravated  force,  and  an  additional 
gloom  clouded  their  future  prospects.  Marching  along 
in  this  disconsolate  mood,  they  fell  in  with  some  feniale 
natives,  who  immediately  fled.  When  the  travellers 
came  up  to  the  spot  where  these  women  had  been  first 
descried,  they  had  the  satisfaction  to  find  that  the  fire  on 
which  they  had  been  dressing  muscles  was  not  extinguih- 
ed.  With  joy  they  lighted  their  brands,  and  after  a  few 
hours  repose  pursued  their  course. 

Next  day  they  arrived  at  a  village,  where  the  natives 
offered  to  barter  a  young  bullock  with  them.  The  inside 
of  a  watch,  some  buttons,  and  other  trifles,  were  offered 
and  readily  accepted  in  exchange  ;  the  beast  being  deliv- 
ered up,  was  despatched  by  the  lance  of  one  of  the  na- 
tives. The  Caffrees  were  pleased  to  receive  back  the 
entrails,  and  the  carcase  being  divided  in  the  most  im- 
partial manner,  our  people  took  up  their  abode  for  that 
night  near  the  village,  and  the  next  morning  passed  an- 
other river  on  a  catamaran. 

The  bullock  was  the  only  sustenance  they  had  hither- 
to received  from  the  natives,  by  barter  or  favor,  except- 
ing that  the  women  sometimes  gave  the  poor  child  who 
accompanied  them  some  milk.  Among  the  most  barba- 
rous nations,  the  females,  to  the  honor  of  their  sex,  are 
always  found  to  be  comparatively  humane,  and  never 
was  there  a  more  just  object  of  commiseration  than  mas- 
ter Law.  Hitherto  he  had  got  on  tolerably  well,  through 
the  benevolent  attention  of  his  companions.  He  walk- 
ed when  able,  and  when  tired,  they  carried  him  in  turn 
without  a  murmur.  None  ever  obtained  any  food  with- 
out allowing  him  a  share.  When  the  rest  were  collect- 
ing shell-fish  he  was  left  to  watch  the  fire,  and  on  their 
return  he  participated  in  the  spoils. 

They  now  entered  a  sandy  desert,  which  they  were 
ten  days  in  passing.  In  this  desolate  tract  they  had  ma- 
ny rivers  to  pass  ;  and  had  it  not  been  for  the  supply  of 
footl  {hey  carried  with  them,  they  must  all  have  perished. 
However,  they  had  wood  hi  abundance,  seldom  failed  to 
G 


<74  LOSS    OF   THE 

find  water  by  digging  in  the  sand,  and  being  safe  from 
the  apprehensions  of  the  natives,  this  appears  to  have 
been  the  most  pleasant  part  of  their  journey: 

Having  crossed  the  desert,  they  entered  the  territories 
of  a  new  nation,  by  whom  they  were  sometimes  mal- 
treated, and  at  others  were  suffered  to  pass  without  mo- 
lestation. Being  now  on  the  borders  of  the  ocean,  they 
fell  in  with  a  party  of  the  natives,  who,  by  signs,  advis- 
ed them  to  go  inland ;  and  complying  with  their  direc- 
tions, they  soon  arrived  at  a  village,  where  they  found 
only  women  ami  children.  The  women  brought  out  a 
little  milk,  which  they  gave  to  master  Law.  It  was  con- 
tained in  a  small  basket,  curiously  formed  of  rushes,  and 
so  compact  as  to  hold  any  kind  of  liquid.  Here  they 
had  an  opportunity  of  examining  several  huts,  and  ob- 
served the  mode  in  which  the  natives  churn  their  butter. 
The  milk  is  put  into  a  leather  bag,  which  is  suspended 
in  the  middle  of  the  tent,  and  .pushed  backward  and  for- 
ward by  two  persons,  til!  the  butter  arrives  at  a  proper 
consistence.  When  thus  prepared,  they  mix  it  with 
.soot,  and  anoint  themselves  with  the  composition,  which 
proves  a  defence  against  the  intense  heat  of  the  climate, 
and  renders  their  limbs  uncommonly  pliant  and  active. 

While  the  travellers  were  resting  themselves^  the  men 
belonging  to  the  village  returned  from  hunting,  each 
bearing  upon  the  point  of  his  spear  a  piece  of  deer's 
flesh.  They  formed  a  ring  round  the  strangers,  and 
seemed  to  gaze  on  them  with  admiration.  After  having 
satisfied  their  curiosity,  they  produced  two  bowls  of 
•milk,  which  they  appeared  willing  to  barter;  but  as  our 
wretched  countrymen  had  nothing  to  give  in  exchange, 
they  drank  it  up  themselves. 

j-cely  had  they  finished  their  meal,  when  they  all 
rose  up,  and  in  an  instant  went  off  into  the  woods,  leaving 
the  English,  under  some  apprehensions  as  to  the  cause  of 
this  sudden  motion.  In  a  short  time,  however,  they  re- 
turned with  a  deer,  and  though  our  people  earnesly  in- 
treated  to  be  permit  ted  to  partake  of  the  spoil,  the  na- 
tives not.ciiJy  disregarded  their  solicitations,  but  likewise 
insisted  on  their  quitting  the  kraal.  This  they  were 
obliged  to  comply  with,  and  after  walking  a  few  miles, 
fh°v  far  down  to  rest. 


GROSV^NOR    INDIAMAX.  75 

For  several  days  they  pursued  their  journey  without 
any  remarkable  occurrence.  They  frequently  fell  in  with 
the  natives,  who  had  great  numbers  of  oxen,  but  they 
would  part  with  nothing  without  a  return,  which  was 
not  in  the  power  of  the  travellers  to  make.  They  had, 
however,  the  negative  satisfaction  of  not  being  annoyed 
in  their  progress.  They  now  came  to  another  river, 
where  they  saw  three  or  four  huts,  containing  only  wo- 
men and  children.  The  flesh  of  sea-cows  and  sea-lions 
was  hanging  up  to  dry,  of  which  the  women  gave  the 
travellers  a  part.  '  They  slept  that  night  at  a  small  dis- 
tance from  these  huts. 

Next  morning  Hynes  and  nine  others  swam  across  the 
river,  but  the  rest  were  too  timorous  to  make  the  at- 
tempt. Those  who  had  crosed  the  river,  soon  sifler- 
terwards  had  the  good  fortune  to  observe  a  seal  asleep, 
just  at  high- water  mark,  and  having  cut  off  his  retreat, 
theyi  found  means  to  kill  him.  Having  duidfd  the  flesh, 
they  travelled  four  or  five  days,  occasionally  falling  in 
with  the  natives,  who,  upon  the  whole,  behaved  with 
tolerable  forbearance. 

They  now  arrived  at  another  river,  winch  they  were 
obliged  to  cross,  and  proceeding  on  their  route,  the 
next  day  found  a  whale  :  and  thus  being  well  supplied 
with  provisions  they  resolved  to  halt  for  their  compan- 
ions :  but  after  waiting  in  vain  two  days,  they  proceed- 
ed without  them.  They  afterwards  found  that  their 
companions  had  token  a  more  inland  route,  and  had  got 
befoi'e  them.  Having,  therefore,  cut  up  as  mttch  of  the 
whale  as  they  could  carry,  and  being  much  refreshed, 
they  proceeded  with  alacrity,  having  now  no  necessity  to 
loiter  in  quest  of  food. 

Thus  they  travelled  for  more  than  a  week,  and  in 
their  way  discovered  some  pieces  of  rags,  which  satisfi- 
ed them  that  their  late  associates  had  got  the  start  of 
them.  They  now  entered  an  extensive  sandy  desert, 
and  finding,  towards  the  close  of  the  first  day,  but  little 
prospect  of  obtaining  either  wood  or  water,  they  were 
much  disheartened.  To  their  joy,  however,  at  the  en- 
trance of  a  deep  gulley  they  saw  the  following  words  trac- 
ed on  the  sand :  Turn  in  here  and  you  nill  find  plenty 
of  wood  and  water.  This  cheered  them  like  a  revelation 


76  LOSS    OF   THE 

from  heaven,  and  on  entering  the  gulley  they  found  the 
notification  verified,  and  the  remains  of  several  fires, 
which  assured  them  that  their  late  companions  had  re«- 
ppsed  in  the  same  place. 

They  proceeded  several  days,  proportionally  exhaust- 
ed with  fatigue  as  they  advanced,  but  without  any  me- 
morable occurrence.  They  now  carne.  to  a  bluff  point 
of  a  rock,  which  projected  so  far  into  the  sea  as  to  ob- 
struct their  progress,  so  that  they  were  obliged  to  direct 
their  course  more  inland.  To  add  to  their  distress, 
their  provisions  were  again  exhausted,  when,  arriving  at 
a  large  pond,  they  luckily  found-  a  number  of  land-crabs, 
snails,  and  some  sorrel  in  the  vicinity,  and  on  these 
.they  made  a  satisfactory  meal. 

As  soon  as  it  dawned  they  resumed  their  journey,  and 
entering  a  wood,  they  observed  many  of  the  trees  torn 
up  by  the  roots.  \Vhile  they  were  lost  in  amazement 
at  this  phenomenon,  to  their  terror  and  astonishment 
thirty  or  forty  large  elephants  started  up  out  of  the  long 
^rasy,  with  which  the  ground  was  covered.  The  travel- 
lew  stood  some  moments  in  suspense,  whether  they 
would  retreat  or  advance ;  but,  by  taking  a  circuitous 
course,  they  passed  these  enormous  creatures  without 
imy  injury.  The  grass  in  which  they  lay  was  not  less 
than  eight  or  nine  feet  high.  This  may  appear  strange 
to  those  who  are  not  acquainted  with  the  luxuriant  vegi- 
tation  of  tropical  climates,  but  other  travellers  of  ui> 
questionable  veracity,  have  made  the  same  remarks  on 
Africa. 

Having  reached  the  sea  shore  that  night,  our  travellers 
were  miserably  disappointed  by  the  state  of  the  tide, 
which  deprived  them  of  their  usual  supplies  of  shell-fish. 
To  such  extremities  were  they,  in  consequence  reduced, 
that  some  of  them,  who  had  made  shoes  of  the  hide  of 
tl.e  bullock  obtained  in  barter  from  the  natives,  singed 
off  the  hair,  broiled  and  eat  them.  This  unsavory  dish 
they  rendered  as  palatable  as  possible  by  means  of  some 
wild  celery  they  found  on  the  spot,  and  the  whole  party 
partook  of  it. 

At  low  water  they  went  as  usual  to  the  rocks  to  pro- 
euro  shell-fish ;  and  as  they  proceeded  they  often  per- 
ceived evident  traces  of  that  division  of  their  party 


GROSVENOR    INDIAMAN.  77 

which  had  got  the  start  of  them.  In  two  days  time  ther 
fell  in  with  a  hunting  party  of  the  natives,  who  offered 
no  molestation  to  our  people  as  they  passed,  and  for 
several  days  they  every  where  behaved  with  the  same 
forbearance. 

After  passing  two  rivers,  and  finding  no  fresh  water 
near  them,  they  entered  a  sterile  country,  where  the  na- 
tives appeared  to  have  nothing  to-  subsist  on  but  what 
they  derived  from  hunting  and  fishing.  What  then  must 
have  been  the  situation  of  our  travellers !  They  had  not 
a  drop  of  water  for  several  days ;  and  a  few  berries 
which  they  occasionally  picked  up,  were  the  only  allevi- 
ation of  their  burning  thirst.  However,  they  soon  reach- 
ed Caffraria,  properly  so  called,  which  they  found  to  be 
a  fine  and  populous  country. 

During  their  march  through  this  territory  our  travellers 
were  absolutely  starving  in  the  midst  of  plenty.  They 
saw  abundance  of  cattle,  but  so  tenaci(>\;s  were  the  na- 
tives of  their  property,  that  they  would  not  part  with 
any  thing  gratuitously,  and  our  people  had  nothing  to  give 
in  barter.  So  apprehensive  were  the  Caffre.es,  lest  these 
poftr  vagrants  might  commit  depredations,  that  they  con- 
stantly secured  their  cattle  as  they  approached,  and  even 
used  violence  to  keep  them  at  a  distance.  So  true  it  is 
that  in  all  countries  poverty  is  considered  rather  ?.s  a 
crime  than  a  misfortune,  and  that  he  who  has  nothing  to 
bestow,  is  immediately  suspected  of  an  intention  to  take 
away. 

But  the  Caffrees  have  been  characterised  as  a  humane 
and  inoffensive  people.  How  are  we  then  to  reconcile 
this  description  with  the  conduct  they  displayed  to  our 
countrymen  ?  May  not  the  idea,  that  they  were  Duti-h- 
men,  solve  the  difficulty  ?  Between  the  Caffrees  aad  the 
Dutch  colonists  "an  inveterate  enmity  subsisted  at  that 
period.  The  Caffrees  hatl  been  treated  with  unparalleled 
cruelty  and  oppression  by  the  white  people,  with  \vhom 
they  were  conversant  ;  all  white  people  were,  therefore, 
probably  regarded  as  enemies.  rAmong  uncivilized  na- 
tions, wherever  any  intercourse  lias  been  estan  listed 
with  Europeans,  the  characters  of  the  hitler,  in  general, 
have  been  determined  from  the  conduct  of  a  v, 01  -lii^ 
G2 


73  LOSS    OP    THE 

few.     Thus,  as  on  other  important  occasions,  many  suf- 
fer for  the  vices  of  individuals. 

Oar  travellers  every  where  repelled,  or  regarded  with 
apprehension,  at  length  came  to  a  river,  and  having 
crossed  it,  were  met  by  a  party  of  the  natives,  one  of 
whom  had  adorned  his  hair  with  a  piece  of  a  silver 
buckle,  which  was  known  to  have  belonged  to  the  ship's 
cook.  It  seems  the  cook,  who  set  a  particular  value 
upon  hh:  buckles,  had  covered  them  with  bits  of  cloth, 
to  conceal  them  from  the  natives  ;  but  at  length  hunger. 
had  compelled  him  to  break  them  up,  in  order  to  barter 
ihem  for  food :  but  no  sooner  was  the  price  deposited 
than  the  natives  broke  their  engagement,  as  had  been 
general  practice,  except  in  one  solitary  instance, 
and  drove  the  claimants  away. 

llynes  and  his  party  were  roughly  handled  by  the  na- 
Jives  they  had  fallen  in  with.  To  avoid  their  persecution, 
they  travelled  k?J  late,  at  night,  and  after  reposing  fora 
few  hours,  they  recommenced  their  journey  before  it 
was  11  v<i,  that  they  might  escape  a  repetition  of  their  ill 
treatment. 

Next  day  about  noon,"  they  reached  a  spot  wh«  re 
there  was  good  water,  and  the  probability  of  finding  an, 
abundance  of  shell-fish ;  here,  being  much  fatigued, 
they  determined  to  spend  the  night.  While  in  this  situa- 
tion they  were  overtaken  by  a  tremendous  storm  -of 
thunder  atd  lightning,  and  the  rain  poured  down  in  such 
torrents  that  they  were  obliged  to  hold  up  their  canvas 
frocks  over  the  fire  to  save  it  from  being  extinguished. 
Next  day  at  low  water,  they  found  shell-fish,  as  usual, 
staid  some  time  to  dry  their  clothes,  and  then  resumed 
their  journey.  Coming  to  a  large  village  the  inhabitants 
Hill  upon  them  with  such  fury,  that  several  of  them  were 
wounded,  m  consequence  of  which,  one  man  died  soon 
afterwards.  Hynes  received  a  wound  in  his  leg  from  a 
lance,  and  being  knocked  down,  was  left  senseless  on 
the  spot  by  his  companions,  who  supposed  him  to  be 
dead.  However,  in  a  f'ow  hours,  to  their  great  joy,  he. 
;ed  his  countrymen,  who  had  despaired  of  ever 
seeing  him  again. 

From  this  time  they  lost  sight  of  the  habitations  of  the 
natives;  and  entered  a  sandy  desert,  where  it  wus  wifh 


GROSVENOR    IND1AMAX.  T9 

the  utmost  difficulty  they  could  procure  any  sustenance. 
At  intervals,  indeed,  they  experienced  the  usual  bounty 
of  the  sea,  and  having  collected  as  many  shell-fish  as 
possible,  they  opened  them  in  the  fire,  and  taking  out 
the  animal,  left  the  shells  which  greatly  diminished  the 
labor  of  carriage. 

Having  passed  the  desert,  they  arrived  at  a  large  river, 
which,  as  they  afterwards  learned  from  the  Dutch,  is 
called  Bosjesman's  river.  Here  they  found  Thomas 
Lewis,  one  of  the  party  which  hail  gone  before  them, 
who  having  been  taken  ill,  was  abandoned  to  his  fate. 
He  informed  them  that  he  had  travelled  inland  and  seeii 
many  huts,  at  one  of  which  he  obtained  a  little  milk, 
and  at  another  was  beaten  away.  He  added,  that  having 
reached  the  place  where  he  now  was,  he  found  himself 
too  weak  to  cross  the  river,  and  was,  therefore,  deter- 
mined to  return  to  the  nearest  kraal,  indifferent  as  to  his 
reception  or  his  life.  In  vain  his  companions  strove  to 
overcome  this  determination.  They  flattered  him  with 
the  hope  of  yet  being  able  to  reach  the  Cape,  but  their 
encouragement  was  ineffectual.  Both  his  body  and  mind 
were  broken  ilown  ;  he  had  drained  the  cup  of  affliction 
to  the  dregs  ;  despair  had  laid  her  iron  hand  upon  him, 
and  sealed  him  for  her  own.  In  spite  of  all  their  entrea- 
ties he  went  uack  to  the  natives,  and  once  more  had  flip 
good  fortune  to  receive  assistance,  when  he  could  least 
of  all  expect  it,  and  in  such  a  shape  as  proved  effectual 
to  his  preservation.  But  we  art?  anticipating  events. 

On  exploring  the  sea  coast,  our  people,  to  thdr  great 
joy,  dicovered  another  whale,  and  having  cut  the  flesh 
into  junks,  took  with  them  as  much  of  it  as  they  were 
able  to  carry.  Again  losing  sight  of  the  natives,  ami 
their  huts,  they  were  kept  in  perpetual  alarm  by  the  wild 
beasts,  which  were  here  more  numerous  than  in  any  part 
of  the  country  through  which  they  had  hitherto  passed. 

On  the  fourth  day,  after  passing  the  river,  they  over- 
took the  ship's  steward  and  Master  Law,  who  still  surviv- 
ed inexpressible  hardships.  From  them  they  learned 
that  the  cooper  had  been  buried  the  preceding  evening  in 
the  sand  ;  but  when  Hynes  and  the  steward  went  to  take 
a  farewell  view  of  the  spot,  they  found  to  their  surprise 
and  horror,  that  the  fcptly  had  been  carried  off  by  ^; 


80  LOSS   OF  THE 

carnivorous  animal,  which  had  evidently  dragged  it  to  a 
considerable  distance. 

Hynes'  party  presented  the  steward  and  child  with 
some  of  the  flesh  of  the  whale,  by  wkich  they  were 
much  refreshed  ;  and  for  eight  or  ten  days  more  they  all  v 
proceeded  in  company.  At  length  they  came  to  a  point 
of  rocks,  and  as  the  whale  was  by  this  time  wholly  con- 
sumed, they  went  round  the  edge  in  search  of  such  sus- 
tenance as  the  sea  might  afford.  This  took  up  so  much 
time  that  they  were  obliged  to  sleep  on  the  rock,  where 
they  could  procure  no  water  but  what  was  very  brackish. 
In  the  morning  the  steward  and  child  were  both  taken  ill, 
and  being  unable  to  proceed,  the  party  agreed  to  halt 
till  the  next  day.  The  extreme  coldness  of  the  rock  on 
which  they  had  slept,  produced  a  sensible  effect  on  them 
all ;  the  steward  and  child  still  continued  very  ill.  Their 
companions,  therefore,  agreed  to  wait  another  day,  when, 
if  no  favorable  turn  took  place,  they  would  be  under  the 
painful  necessity  of  abandoning  them  to  their  fate.  But 
their  humanity  was  not  put  to  this  severe  test,  for  in  the 
course  of  the  following  night,  this  poor  child  resigned 
his  breath,  and  ceased  any  longer  to  share  their  fatigues 
and  sorrows.  They  had  left  him,  as  they  supposed, 
asleep,  near  the  fire  round  which  they  had  all  rested  dur- 
ing the  night;  but  when  they  had  made  their  arrange- 
ments for  breakfast,  and  wished  to  call  him  to  participate, 
they  found  that  his  soul  had  taken  its  flight  to  another 
world. 

Forgetting  their  own  misery  they  sensibly  felt  for  the 
loss  of  this  tender  youth,  and  the  affliction  of  the  stew- 
ard in  particular  was  inexpressible.  This  child  had 
been  the  object  of  his  fondest  care,  during  a  long  and 
perilous  journey,  and  it  was  with  the  utmost  difficulty 
that  his  companions  could  tear  him  from  the  spot. 

They  had  not  proceeded  far  before  one  of  the  party 
asked  for  a  shell  of  water,  which  being  given  him,  he 
solicited  a  second,  and  as  soon  as  he  had  drunk  it,  lay 
down  aud  instantly  expired.  So  much  were  they  habit- 
uated to  scens  of  distress,  that,  by  this  time,  death  had 
ceased  to  be  regarded  as  shocking ;  it  was  even  consid- 
ered by  them  as  a  consummation  rather  to  be  wished  for 
than'  dreaded.  They  left  the  poor  man  where  he  drop- 


GROSVESOR    INDIAMAK,  81 

ped,  and  had  not  advanced  far,  when  another  complain- 
ed of  extreme  weakness,  and  sat  down  upon  the  sand 
by  the  seaside.  Him  too  they  left,  compelled  by  se- 
vere necessity,  in  order  to  seek  for  wood  and  water, 
promising,  if  they  were  successful,  to  return  to  assist 
him. 

Having  sought  in  vain  for  a  comfortable  restingplace 
for  the  night,  they  were  all  obliged  to  repose  on  the 
sands.  Recollecting  the  situation  of  their  comrade,  one 
of  the  party  went  back  to  the  spot  where  he  had  been 
left,  but  the  unhappy  man  was  not  to  be  found  ;  and  as 
he  had  nothing  to  shelter  or  protect  him,  it  is  more  than 
probable  that  he  was  carried  off  by  wild  beasts. 

With  the  first  approach  of  day  they  resumed  their 
journey,  but  their  situation  was  now  more  deplorable 
than  ever.  Having  had  no  water  since  the  middle  of 
the  preceding  day,  they  suffered  exceedingly  from  thirst, 
the  glands  of  their  throats  and  their  mouths  were  much 
swollen  :  and  in  tho-  extremity  of  thirst  they  were  indu- 
ced to  swallow  their  own  urine. 

This  was  the  crisis  of  calamnity.  The  misery  they 
now  underwent  was  too  shocking  to  relate.  Having 
existed  for  two  days  without  food  or  water,  they  wore 
reduced  to  such  an  extremity,  that  when  any  of  them 
rould  not  furnish  himself  with  a  draught  of  urine,  he  would 
borrow  a  shell  full  of  his  more  fortunate  companion  till  he 
was  able  to  repay  it.  The  steward,  whose  benevolence 
ought  to  immortalize  his  memory,  now  followed  his  little 
favorite  to  another  world.  In  short,  to  such  a  state  of 
wretchedness  were  they  now  reduced,  that  death  was 
stripped  of  all  its  terrors. 

Next  morning  hvo  more  of  the  party  were  reduced 
to  a  very  languid  state  ;  one  of  them,  unable  to  proceed 
a  step  farther,  lay  down,  and  his  companions,  incapable 
of  affording  him  any  assistance,  took  an  affectionate 
farewell,  and  left  him  to  expire. 

Towards  evening  they  reached  a  deep  gully,  which 
they  entered,  in  the  hope  of  meeting  with  fresh  water. 
Here  they  found  another  of  the  Grosvenor's  crt^  lying 
dead,  with  his  right  hand  cut  off  at  the  wrist.  A  cir- 
cumstance so  singular  could  not  fail  to  attract  the  notice 
of  his  companions,  especially  as  they  recollected  that  it 


82  LOSS    OF   THE 

had  been  the  eommon  asseveration  of  the  deceased  ; — 
May  the  devil  cut  my  rigJU  arm  off*  if  it  be  not  true  /  It 
had  a  sensible  effect  upon  his  comrades  for  a  time,  as 
they  superstitiously  imagined  that  Providence  had  inter- 
fered, by  a  miracle,  to  show  its  indignation  against  his 
profaneness. 

One  of  the  company,  who  had  lost  his  own  clothes  in 
crossing  a  river,  took  the  opportunity  of  supplying  him- 
self by  stripping  the  dead  man,  and  then  they  proceeded 
till  night,  without  any  other  sustenance  than  what  their 
own  water  afforded  them. 

Next  day  brought  no  alleviation  of  their  miseries, 
Necessity  impelled  them  to  proceed,  though  hope  scarce- 
ly darted  a  ray  through  the  gloom  of  their  prospects. 
The  whole  party  was,  at  last,  reduced  to  three  persons, 
Hynes,  Evans,  and  Wormington,  and  these  could  hope 
to  survive  their  companions  only  a  very  few  days.  Their 
faculties  rapidly  declined,  they  could  scarcely  hear  or 
see,  and  a  vertical  sun  darted  its  beams  so  intensely 
upon  them,  that  it  was  with  the  utmost  difficulty  they 
could  proceed. 

Their  misery,  from  thirst,  now  became  so  intolerable, 
that  Wormington  earnestly  importuned  his  companions 
to  determine,  by  lot,  which  of  them  should  die,  in  order 
that  the  others  mi^ht  be  presevered  by  drinking  his 
blood.  Hynes,  though  almost  childish,  was  shocked  at 
the  proposal ;  his  tears  flowed  abundantly,  and  he  de- 
clared, that  as  long  as  he  was  able  to  walk  he  could  not 
think  of  casting  lots  ;  but  that,  if  he  should  be  obliged 
to  drop,  ihey  might  then  use  him  as  they  pleased.  Up- 
on this,  Wormington,  shaking  hands  with  Hynes  and 
Evens,  suffered  them  to  proceed  without  him. 

Every  hour  now  seemed  to  throw  a  deeper  gloom 
over  their  fate  ;  nature  could  support  no  more.  Hynes 
and  Evans,  however,  made  another  effort  to  advance, 
without  even  indulging  a  hope  of  the  possibility  of  re- 
lief. They  this  day  saw  something  before  them  which 
had  the  appearance  of  large  birds,  but  their  surprise  may 
be  conceived,  when,  upon  a  nearer  approach,  they  dis- 
covered them  to  be  men.  Nearly  blind  and  idiots,  they 
did  not  at  first  recollect  their  newly-found  companions, 
but  after  some  time  they  recognized  m  them  four  of  the 


GROSVENOR   RfDIAAUN.  33 


steward's  party  from  which  they  had  been  separated. 
One  of  them,  a  boy,  named  Price,  advanced  to  meet 
them,  and  gave  them  the  pleasing  information,  that  his 
associates  had  fresh  water  in  their  possession.  This  in- 
spired them  with  new  life,  and  reciprocal  inquiries  were 
made  relative  to  the  fate  of  their  lost  companions.  The 
three  men  \vhom  Hynes  and  his  companion  had  overta- 
ken, were  named  Berney,  Leary,  and  De  Lasso,  who 
hearing  that  Wormington  was  left  behind,  the  two  latter 
went  in  search  of  Mm,  charging  those  who  remained 
not  to  suffer  Hynes  and  Evans  to  drink  too  freely  of  the 
water,  as  several  had  expired  from  the  eagerness  with 
which  they  swallowed  that  fluid  after  long  abstinence. 

Wormington  was  recovered  by  the  humanity  of  those 
who  went  in  search  of  Win,  and  a  painful  detail  of  suffer- 
ings succeeded.  It  appeared  that  the  captains's  steward 
had  been  buried  in  the  sand  of  the  last  desert  over  which 
they  passed,  and  that  the  survivors  were  reduced  to  such 
extremity,  that  after  his  interment  two  of  the  party  was 
sent  back  to  cut  off  his  flesh  for  their  immediate  support  ; 
but  while  proceeding  upon  this  horrid  errand,  they  had 
the  good  fortune  to  discover  a  young  seal,  newly  driven 
on  shore,  and  fresh  bleeding,  which  proved  a  most  sea- 
sonable relief.  They  farther  stated,  that  they  had  obtain- 
ed shell-fish  in  the  sand,  when  none  were  to  be  seen  up- 
on it,  by  observing  the  manner  in  which  the  birds 
scratched  for  them.  Without  this  discovery  they  must 
inevitably  have  perished. 

Hynes  and  Evans,  recounting  their  adventures  to  the 
party  they  had  joined,  among  other  circumstances,  men- 
tioned that  the  ship's  steward,  whom  they  had  left  to 
expire  on  the  road,  had  on  very  decent  clothes.  This 
tempted  one  of  them  to  propose  to  Evans,  who  was  by 
this  time  pretty  well  recovered,  to  go  back  to  the  spot  and 
•strip  the  body,  but  the  steward  could  not  be  found,  and 
.they  concluded  that  the  wild  beasts  had  anticipated  tjieir 
design.  In  the  evening  Evans  returned,  but  without  hi* 
companion,  who  had  been  so  indolent,  and  advanced 
with  such  a  slow  pace,  that  the  former  was  obliged  to 
leave  him  behind.  As  he  was  never  seen  afterwards,  no 
doubt  can  be  entertained  but  that  he  likewise  fell  a  vic- 
tim to  the  ravenous  beasts.  These  were  so 


$4  JLOSS    OF   THE 

as  to  be  seen  in  troops  of  twenty  or  more ;  and  it  was 
the  common  and  effectual  practice*  of  the  travellers  to 
fehout  as  loud  as  possible  to  drive  away  those  formidable 
animals. 

Haying  now  arrived  at  a  favorable  spot  for  water  and 
shell-fish,  they  employed  two  days  in  collecting  provisions 
for  tiicir  future  inarch,  and  in  refreshing  themselves. 
Rest  and  food  had  an  astonishing  effect  in  restoring  not 
only  the  powers  of  the  body,  but  of  the  mind ;  and  in  a 
short  time  they  thought  themselves  qualified  to  encoun- 
ter new  fatigues. 

With  extreme  difficulty  and  danger  they  passed  a 
large  river,  supposed  to  be  the  Sontag,  on  a  Catamaran, 
and  having  reached  the  opposite  shore,  they  looked  back 
with  teror  and  amazement  on  their  fortunate  escape 
from  being  driven  out  to  sea  by  the  rapidity  of  the 
stream.  Here  they  likewise  found  a  kind  of  shell-fish 
which  buries  itself  in  the  sand,  and  which  increased 
their  supplies. 

The  united  party,  consisting  of  Six  persons,  pursued 
their  route  over  a  desert  country,  where  neither  hut  nor 
native  was  to  be  seen,  and  in  six  days  reached  the 
Schwartz  river,  as  they  afterwards  learned,  on  the 
banks  of  which  they  took  up  their  abode  for  the  night. 

The  country,  at  length,  began  to  assume  a  fertile  and 
cultivated  appearance,  and  some  huts  appeared  at  a  dis- 
tance from  the  shore.  While  contemplating  with 
pleasure  this  change  of  prospect,  the  grass  near  them 
took  fire,  and  spread  with  great  rapidity.  They  all  useil 
every  effort  to  extinguish  it,  lest  this  involuntary  mis- 
chief should  provoke  the  resentment  of  the  natives,  or 
the  blaze  call  them  to  the  spot. 

Next  morning  they  swam  over  the  river  in  safety,  and 
soon  discovered  another  dead  whale  lying  on  the  sea 
shore.  Thus  -supplied  with  food  they  purposed  resting 
here  a  few  days,  if  they  could  have  found  fresh  water, 
but  that  neeessary  article  being  wanting,  they  cut  up  as 
much  of  the  whale  as  they  could  carry,  and  proceeded 
on  their  route.  In  two  hours  they  came  to  a  thicket, 
where  they  met  with  water,  and  halted  to  rest. 

Next  morning  .four  of  the  party  went  back  to  the 
whale  for  a  larger  supply,  De  Lasso  and  Price  being  left 


GKOSyENOft   INDIAMAN.  &£ 

in  charge  of  the  fire.  As  Price  was  collecting  fuel,  he 
perceived  at  a  little  distance,  two  men  with  guns,  and 
being  intimidated  at  the  sight,  he  returned  hastily  to  the 
fire,  whither  the  welcome  intruders  pursued  him.  These 
men  belonged  to  a  Dutch  settlement  in  the  neighborhood, 
and  were  in  search  of  some  strayed  cattle.  One  of  them, 
named  John  Battores,  supposed  to  be  a  Portuguese  was 
able  to  converse  with  De  Lasso,  the  Italian,  so  as  to  be 
understood,  a  circumstance  as  fortunate  as  it  was  little 
to  be  expected.  Battores  having  learned  the  outline  of 
their  melancholy  story,  accompanied  them  to  the  whale, 
where  their  companions  were  employed  in  cutting  away 
the  flesh.  Affected  at  the  sight  of  these  miserable  ob- 
jects, he  desired  them  to  throw  away  what  they  had  been 
collecting,  promising  them  better  fare  when  they  reach- 
ed the  habitation  to  which  he  belonged. 

In  vain  shall  we  attempt  to  describe  the  sensations  of 
the  shipwrecked  wanderers  on  receiving  this  intelligence, 
and  that  they  were  within  four  hundred  miles  of  the 
Cape.  The  joy  that  instantly  filled  every  bosom  produ- 
duced  effects  as  various  as  extraordinary :  one  man 
laughed,  another  wept,  and  the  third  danced  with 
transport. 

On  reaching  the  house  of  Mynheer  Christopher  Roos- 
toofr,  to  whom  Battores  was  bailiff,  they  were  treated 
with  the  kindest  attention.  The  master,  on  being  ac- 
quainted with  their  distress,  immediately  ordered  bread 
and  milk  to  be  set  before  them ;  but  acting  rather  on 
principles  of  hu inanity  than  prudence,  he  furnished 
them  such  a  quantity  that  their  weak  stomachs  were 
overloaded.  After  their  meal,  sacks  were  spread  upon 
the  ground  for  them  to  repose  on. 

It  had  been  so  long  since  they  had  known  any  thing 
of  the  calculation  of  time,  that  they  were  unacquainted 
even  with  the  name  of  the  month  ;  and  they  were  given 
to  understand,  that  the  day  of  iheir  deliverance  was  the 
29th  of  November;  so  that  one  hundred  and  seventeen 
days  had  revolved  their  melancholy  hours  since  they  were 
shipwrecked  ;  a  period  of  suffering  almost  unparalleled, 
and  during  which  they  had  often  been  miraculously 
preserved. 

H 


&tf  LOSS    OF  THE 

Next  morning  Mynheer  Roostooff  killed  a  sheep  for  the 
entertainment  of  his  guests,  and  another  Dutchman,  of 
the  name  of  Quin,  came  with  a  cart  and  six  horses  to 
convey  them  towards  the  Cape.  The  boy,  Price,  be- 
ing lame?  from  the  hardships  he  had  undergone,  was 
detained  at  Roostooff's  house,  who  kindly  undertook  his 
cure,  and  promised  to  send  him  after  the  others  when 
he  was  recovered.  The  rest  of  the  party  proceeded 
to  Quin's  house,  where  they  were  hospitably  entertained 
four  days. 

From  that  time  they  were  forwarded  in  carts,  from 
one  settlement  to  another,  till  they  arrived  at  Swellen- 
dam,  about  one  hundred  miles  from  the  Cape.  Wher- 
ever they  passed  they  experienced  the  humanity  of 
the  farmers,  and  their  wants  were  relieved  with  a  libe- 
ral hand. 

At  Swellendam  they  were  detained  till  orders  should 
be  received  from  the  governor  at  the  Cape,  in  regard  to 
iheir  future  destiny,  Holland  and  Great-Britain  being  at 
that  time  at  war.  At  length  two  of  the  party  were  or- 
dered to  be  forwarded  to  the  Cape,  in  order  to  be  exam- 
ined, while  the  rest  were  to  remain  at  Swellendam.  Ac- 
cordingly Wormington  and  Leary  proceeded  to  the  Cape, 
where,  after  being  strictly  interrogated,  they  were  sent 
on  board  a  Dutch  man  of  war  lying  in  the  bay,  with  or- 
ders that  they  should  be  set  to  work.  While  in  this  situ- 
ation, Wormington  having  discovered  that  the  boatswain 
was  engaged  in  some  fraudulent  practices,  imprudently 
threatened  to  give  information,  on  which  the  boatswain 
desiring  him  and  his  companion  to  step  into  a  boat,  con- 
veyed them  on  Board  a  Danish  East  Ihdiaman,  just  get- 
ting under  weigh,  and  by  this  fortunate  incident  they  first 
reached  their  native  land. 

But  to  .return  to  the  fate  of  the  rest.  Though  the 
flames  of  war  were  ranging  between  the  two  nations,  the 
Dutch  government,  at  the  Cape,  being  informed  of  the 
particulars  of  the  loss  of  the  Grosvenor,  with  a  human- 
ity which  does  them  infinite  honor,  despatched  a  large 
party  in  quest  of  the  unhappy  wanderers.  This  detach- 
ment consisted  of  one  hundred  Europeans,  and  three 
Jmndred  Hottentots,  attended  by  a  great  number  of  wag- 
gon?, each  drawn  by  eight  bullocks.  The  command 


GROSVENOR,   INDIA3UN.  87 

was  given  to  Captain  Muller,  with  orders  to  proceed,  if 
possible,  to  the  wreck,  and  load  with  such  articles  as 
might  be  saved,  and  to  endeavor  to  discover  such  of 
the  sufferers  as  were  still  wandering  about  the  country,  or 
in  the  hands  of  the  natives. 

De  Lasso  and  Evans  accompanied  this  expedition  as 
guides  ;  but  Hynes  being  still  very  weak  was  left  at 
Swellendam.  The  party  was  well  provided  with  such 
articles  as  were  most  likely  to  insure,  them  a  favorable 
reception  from  the  natives,  and  procure  the  liberty  of 
the  unfortunate  persons  they  might  find  in  their  way. 
They  proceeded  with  spirit  and  alacrity,  till  the  Caflfrees, 
in  consequence  of  their  antipathy  to  the  colonists,  inter- 
rupted the  expedition.  In  their  progress  they  found 
Thomas  Lewis,  who  had  been  abandoned  by  his  com- 
panions, as  before  mentioned,  and  William  Hatterly  who 
was  servant  to  the  second  mate,  and  had  continued 
with  that  party  till  he  alone  survived.  Thus  the  fate 
of  one  division  was  ascertained. 

At  other  places  on  the  road  they  met  with  seven 
lascars,  and  two  black  women,  one  of  whom  was  ser- 
vant to  Mrs.  Logie,  and  the  other  to  Mrs.  Hosea.  From 
these  women  they  learned,  that  soon  after  Hyne's  party 
had  left  the  captain  and  the  ladies,  they  also  took  sep- 
arate routes  ;  the  latter  intending  to  join  the  lascars,  but 
what  became  of  them  after  this  separation  was  un- 
known. They,  indeed,  saw  the  captain's  coat  on  one 
of  the  natives,  but  whether  he  died  or  was  killed  could 
never  be  discovered. 

After  the  enmity  of  the  natives  prevented  the  pro- 
gress of  the  waggons,  some  of  the  oarty  travelled  for- 
ward fifteen  days  on  horseback,  in  the  prosecution  of 
their  plan,  but  the  Caffrees  still  continuing  to  harass  them, 
they  were  obliged  to  return,  after  an  absence  of  about 
:  three  months. 

Captain  Muller  returned  to  Swellendam,  with  the 
three  Englishmen,  the  seven  lascars,  and  two  black  wo- 
men, the  boy,  Price,  and  the  two  guides,  De  Lasso  and 
Evans.  The  people  of  color  were  detained  at  Swel- 
lendam ;  but  the  English  were  forwarded  to  the  Cape, 
where,  after  being  * 'examined  by  the  governor,  they 
were  permitted  to  take  their  passage  to  Europe  in 


88  LOSS    OF   THE 

&  Danish  ship,  the  captain  of  which  promised  to  land 
them  in  England  ;  but,  excepting  Price,  who  was  set  on 
shore  at  Wey  mouth,  they  were  all  carried  to  Co- 
penhagen, from  whence  they  at  last  found  their  way  t6 
England. 

Such  was  the  termination  of  the  adventures  of  these 
unfortunate  people  ;  but  the  inquiry  concerning  the  fate 
of  the  captain  and  his  party  was  not  dropped.  Though 
it  is  probable  that  before  the  first  Dutch  expedition  could 
have  reached  them,  they  had  all  paid  the  debt  of  nature ; 
rumors  had  been  spread  that  several  of  the  English 
were  still  in  captivity  among  the  natives,  and  these  ob- 
tained such  general  belief,  that  M.  Valiant,  whose  phi- 
lanthropy equalled  his  genius  and  resolution,  made  an- 
other attempt  to  discover  the  reputed  captives ;  but 
he  could  learn  nothing  decisive  as  to  their  situation  or 
ftngl  fate. 

The  public  mind,  however,  cc  ntinued  still  to  be  agitat- 
ed, and  the  interest  which  all  nations  took  in  the  fate  of 
the  unhappy  persons,  particularly  the  women,  some  of 
whom  it  was  reported  had  been  seen,  induced  a  second 
party  of  Dutch  colonists,  with  the  sanction  of  govern- 
ment, to  make  another  effort  to  explore  the  country, 
and  to  reach  the  wreck. 

These  men,  amply  provided,  set  out  orf  the  24th  of 
August,  1793,  from  Kaifer  Keyl's  River,  towards  Cape 
Natal,  on  the  coast  of  which  the  Grosvenor  was  suppos- 
ed to  have  been  wrecked.  Of  this  expedition  we  have 
a  journal  kept  by  Van  Reenen,  one  of  the  party,  and 
published  by  Captain  Riou.  It  would  not  be  generally 
interesting  to  the  reader  to  give  the  meagre  details  of 
distance  travelled,  and  elephants  killed  ;  of  danger  en- 
countered, and  rivers  crossed ;  we  shall,  therefore  con- 
fine ourselves  to  such  incidents  as  appear  to  deserve  no- 
tice, or  are  connected  with  the  melancholy  subject  of 
our  narrative. 

After  proceeding  an  immense  way,  on  the  3d  of  No- 
vember they  arrived  among  the  Hambonaas,  a  nation  quite 
different  from  the  Caffrees.  They  have  a  yellow  com- 
plexion, and  their  long  course  hair  is  frizzled  up  in  the 
form  of  a  turban.  Some  of  these  people  informed  our 
adventurer?,  that,  subject  to  them,  there  was  a  village  of 


GR03VENOR   INDIAMAN.  89 

foastard  Christians,  descended  from  people  shipwrecked 
on  the  coast,  of  whom  three  old  women  were  still  alive 
and  married  to  a  Hambonaa  chief.  This  intelligence  rous- 
ed their  cariosity  and  they  were  fortunate  enough  to  ob- 
tain an  interview  with  the  old  women  in  question,  who  said 
they  were  sisters,  but  having  been  shipwrecked  when 
children,  they  could  not  say  to  what  nation  they  origin- 
ally belonged.  The  Dutch  adventurers  offered  to  take 
them  and  their  children  back  on  their  return,  at  which 
they  seemed  much  pleased.  It  appears  probable,  that 
the  reports  which  had  been  spread,  in  regard  to  some 
European  women  being  among  the  natives,  originated 
from  this  circumstance,  and  as  tha  existence  of  any  oth- 
er white  people  in  this  quarter  was  neither  known  nor 
suspected,  it  was  naturally  concluded  that  they  must 
have  belonged  to  the  Grosvenor. 

The  Dutch  afterwards  fell  in*  with  Trout,  whose  name 
has  been  mentioned  in  the  proceeding  narrative.  He  at 
first  engaged  to  conduct  them  to  the  spot  where  the 
Grosvenor  was  wrecked,  and  informed  them  that  noth- 
ing was  then  to  be  seen,  excepting  some  cannon,  iron, 
ballast,  and  lead ;  adding,  that  all  the  unfortunate  crew 
of  that  ship  had  perished,  some,  by  the  hands  of  the 
natives,  and  the  rest  of  hunger. 

Trout,  who,  it  is  to  be  feared,  was  guilty  of  much  du- 
plicity from  the  first,  pretended  that  he  was  a  freeman, 
and  had  sailed  in  an  English  ship  from  Malacca ;  but  find- 
ing himselflikely  to  be  detected,  and  probably  apprehen- 
sive of  being  carried  back  to  the  Cape,  he  cautiously 
avoided  the  Dutch  in  the  sequel,  and  left  them  to  find 
their  way  to  the  wreck  in  the  best  manner  thc*y  were 
able. 

As  they  were  proceeding  to  the  spot,  one  of  the  party, 
named  Houltshausen,  unfortunately  fell  into  a  pit  of 
burnt  stakes,  by  which  he  was  terribly  wounded  in  the 
palm  of  one  of  his  hands,  which  eventually  produced  a 
locked  jaw,  and  terminated  in  his  death.  These  pits  are 
dug  by  the  natives,  and  being  covered  over  with  branches 
pf  trees  and  grass,  serve  as  snares  for  the  elephants, 
which  frequently  fall  into  them,  and  are  thus  taken. 

Several  of  the  party,,  however,  proceeded  on  horse- 
back to  the  wreck,  and  found  nothing  more  than  what 


90  LOSS   OF   THE 

Trout  had  described  remaining.  It  was  plainty  perceived 
that  fires  had  been  made  in  the  vicinity,  and  on  a  rising 
ground,  between  two  woods  was  a  pit,  where  things  had 
been  buried  and  dug  out  again.  This  likewise  tallied 
with  the  information  of  Trout,  who  told  them  that  all  the 
articles  collected  from  the  wreck,  had  been  dispersed 
over  the  country,  and  that  most  of  them  had  been  carried 
to  Rio  de  la  Goa,  to  be  sold.  That  place  was  represent- 
ed to  be  about  four  days  journey  from  the  scene  of  the 
catastrophe. 

The  natives  in  the  neighborhood  expressed  great  as- 
tonishment that  the  Dutch  had  been  at  such  infinite  pains 
to  come  in  search  of  the  unfortunate  crew,  and  they  all 
promised  that  in  case  of  any  similar  disaster,  they  would 
protect  such  people  as  might  be  thrown  upon  the  coast, 
if  they  could  be  assured  of  obtaining  beads,  copper,  and 
iron,  for  their  trouble,  which  was  liberally  promised  by 
the  Dutch. 

These  intrepid  adventurers,  who  were  now  437  leagues 
distant  from  the  Cape,  and  226  beyond  any  Christian  ha- 
bitation, finding  that  nothing  farther  was  to  be  discovered 
relative  to  the  wreck,  or  the  fate  of  the  persons  who  had 
reached  the  shore,  determined  to  return,  particularly  as 
Houltshausen's  illness  increased. 

On  their  way  back  they  called  at  the  bastard  Christian 
village,  and  would  have  taken  under  their  protection  the 
three  old  women,  who  seemed  desirous  of  living  among 
Christians,  but  they  wished  first  to  gather  in  their  crops  ; 
adding,  when  that  business 'was  accomplished,  their 
whole  race,  to  the  number  of  four  hundred,  would  be 
happy  to  depart  from  their  present  settlement.  Every 
indulgence  was  promised  them  in  case  they  should  be 
disposed  to  emigrate  to  the  Cape.  On  seeing  people  of 
the  same  complexion  as  themselves  they  appeared  to  be 
exceedingly  agitated. 

On  their  homeward  journey  the  Dutch  shot  many 
elephants  and  sea-cows ;  but  on  the  first  of  December 
they  met  with  a  terrible  accident,  while  employed  in 
catting  up  the  sea-cows  killed  the  preceding  day.  "  As 
we  were  thus  engaged,  (says  the  journalist,)  a  large 
elephant  made  up  to  the  waggons ;  we  instantly  pursued 
and  attacked  him,  when,  having  received  several  shot, 


GR03VENOR   1NDIAMAN.  91 

6y  which  he  twice  fell,  he  crept  into  a  very  thick  under- 
wood. Thinking  we  had  killed  him,  Tjaart  Vander 
Valdt,  Lodewyk  Prins,  and  Ignatus  Mulder,  advanced  to 
the  spot,  when  he  rushed  out  furiously  from  the  thicket, 
and  catching  hold  of  Prins  with  his  trunk,  trod  him  to 
death,  driving  one  of  his  tusks  through  the  body,  and 
throwing  it  up  into  the  air  to  the  height  of  thirty  feet. 

"  The  others  perceiving  that  there  was  no  possibility 
^f  escaping  on  horseback,  dismounted,  and  crept  into 
ffo  thicket  to  hide  themselves.  The  elephant  seeing 
nothing  in  view  but  one  of  the  horses,  followed  him  for 
some  time,  and  then  turning  about  came  back  to  the 
spot  where  the  dead  man  was  left.  At  this  instant  our 
whole  party  renewed  the  attack,  and  after  he  had  re- 
ceived several  more  wounds,  again  escaped  into  the 
thickest  part  of  the  wood. 

"  We  now  supposed  ourselves  safe,  but  wrhile  we  were 
digging  a  grave  for  our  unfortunate  companion,  the 
elephant  rushed  out  again,  and  drove  us  all  from  the 
place.  Tjaart  Vander  Valdt  got  another  shot  at  him  ; 
a  joint  attack  being  commenced,  he  began  to  stagger, 
and  falling,  the  Hottentots  despatched  him  as  he  lay  on 
the  ground." 

The  rest  of  their  journey  afforded  little  worth  notice. 
In  January,  1791,  they  reached  their  respective  homes, 
after  surmounting  incredible  difficulties,  in  an  expedition 
to  which  they  were  prompted  solely  by  a  principle  of 
humanity,  and  the  desire  of  relieving,  if  any  remained 
alive,  such  of  our  countryrpen  as  might  be  among  the 
natives.  No  intelligence  of  this  kind  could,  however, 
after  the  most  diligent  inquiries,  be  obtained.  They 
were,  indeed,  informed  that  the  ship's  cook  had  been 
alive  about  two  years  before  the  period  of  their  journey, 
but  that  he  then  caught  the  small  pox  and  died. 

We  cannot  conclude  this  mournful  narrative  better 
than  with  the  sensible  reflections  of  Captain  Riou. 

"  Had  the  party,  (says  he)  that  set  out  in  search  of 
these  shipwrecked  people,  in  1783,  prosecuted  their 
journey  with  the  same  degree  of  zeal  and  resolution  that 
Van  Reenen's  party  manifested,  it  is  possible  they  might 
have  discovered  and  relieved  some  who  have  since  pey- 
ished.  Yet,  as  they  could  not  have  arrived  at  the  place 


92  LOSS    OF   THE 

of  the  wreck  in  less  than  six  months  after  the  disaster 
happened,  there  is  no  great  probability  for  supposing, 
that  after  such  a  length  of  time  had  elapsed,  any  great 
number  of  the  unfortunate  sufferers  could  be  remaining 
alive. 

^  But  what  we  have  most  to  regret  is,  that,  perhaps, 
the  faliure  of  the  endeavors  of  the  unfortunate  crew  to 
save  their  lives,  was  owing  to  their  own  misconduct.  It 
is  too  often  the  case,  that  disorder  and  confusion  are  the 
consequences  of  extreme  distress,  and  that  despair  seiz- 
ing on  the  unprincipled  mind,  hurries  it  on  to  a  subver- 
sion of  all  good  order  and  discipline  :  so  that  at  the  mo- 
ment when  the  joint  efforts  of  the  whole  are  most  ne- 
cessary for  the  general  good,  each  desponding  thoughtless 
member  acts  from  the  impulse  of  the  moment,  in  what- 
ever manner  his  tumultuous  feelings  may  direct  ;  and 
from  an  erroneous  idea  of  self-interest,  or,  wonderful  as 
it  may  appear,  from  a  desire  of  gratifying  a  rebellious 
and  turbulent  spirit,  at  a  time  when  it  can  be  done  with 
impunity,  is  always  ready  to  overturn  every  plan  that 
may  be  proposed  by  his  superiors,  and  the  considerate 
few  that  happen  to  be  of  the  party. 

"  Such  must  have  been,  and  such  we  are  indeed  told 
was  the  situation  of  the  crew  of  the  Grosvenor  subse- 
quent to  their  shipwreck. 

"  Though  it  may  be  said  to  be  very  easy  to  see  er- 
rors when  their  consequences  are  apparent,  it  will  not 
surely  be  too  much  to  assert,  that  when  this  ship's  crew 
was  once  safely  on  shore,  with  the  advantage  of  such 
articles  as  they  could  procure  from  the  wreck,  their  situa- 
tion, however  deplorable,  could  not  be  considered  as 
hopeless.  For  had  a  chosen  body  of  ten  or  twenty  men 
marched  a  few  days  to  the  northward,  they  must  have 
fallen  in  with  Rio  de  la  Goa,  where  it  seldom  happens 
that  there  is  not  a  French  or  Portuguese  slave  ship.  But 
allowing  Captain  Coxson  was  much  out  of  his  reckoning, 
and  that  he  supposed  himself  much  nearer  to  the  Cape 
than  l\e  really  was,  they  might  then  have  existed  on  the 
sea  coast,  in  that  climate,  sheltered  by  huts,  till  ready  to 
set  out,  and  by  preserving  order  and  discipline,  and  con- 
tacting themselves  properly  in  regard  to  the  natives, 


GROSVENOK   IXDIAMAN.  €' 

3 

they  might  gradually  have  proceeded  in  safely  to  tl_ 
territories  of  the  Dutch. 

"  Had  the  crew  continued  under  the  orders  of  their 
officers,  either  of  those  objects  might  have  been  accom- 
plished, by  men  whose  minds  were  not  wholly  resigned  to 
despair ;  or  they  might  have  subsisted  on  what  provision 
they  could  pick  up  from  the  wreck,  together  with  what 
they  could  purchase  from  the  natives,  till  a  boat  could 
have  been  constructed  and  sent  to  solicit  assistance  from 
the  Cape. 

"  These  reflections  have  been  extended  by  considering 
the  circumstances  in  which  the  shipwrecked  people  were 
placed ;  from  all  which  it  may  fairly  be  concluded,  that 
the  greater  part  might  have  effected  a  return  to  their  na- 
tive land,  had  they  been  guided  by  any  idea  of  the  ad- 
vantages of  discipline. and  subordination. 

"  It  is  to  be  hoped,  then,  that  the  fatal  consequences 
attending  disorderly  conduct  on  these  calamitous  occa- 
sions, will  impress  on  the  minds  of  seamen  this  incon- 
trovertible truth,  that  their  only  hope  of  safety  must  de- 
pend upon  obedience." 


9C 
of 


SHIPWRECK   ©F  tffttf 

.% 

ENGLISH  EAST-INDIAMAN,  THE  FATTYSALEM 

On  tfie  Coast  of  Coronianctel,  August  28^,  1761. 


T, 


.  HE  following  narrative  of  the  loss  of  the  Pat- 
fysalam  is  given  in  a  letter  from  M.  de  Kearney,  a  cap- 
tain in  Lally's  regiment,  who  was  taken  prisoner  by  the 
English,  to  the  Count  D'Estaing,  Lieutenant-General, 
commanding  the  French  troops  in  the  East-Indies,  during 
the  war  of  1756. 

Some  time  after  your  departure  from  India,  (says  M. 
de  Kerney,)  I  was  taken  prisoner  by  the  English,  at  the 
battle  of  Vandevachy,  a  small  Fort  between  Madras  and 
Pondicherry.  My  conquerors  treated  me  with  the 
greatest  generosity,  and  even  did  all  in  their  power  to 
save  my  effects.  But  I  lost  every  thing  I  had  taken  with 
me  for  the  campaign  ;  the  seapoys  plundered  me  without 
inercy.  You  are  acquainted  with  that  undisciplined  mi- 
litia: they  do  not  comprehend  that  it  is  possible  to  treat 
as  friends ;  that  is,  to  spare  as  much  as  possible  those 
who  have  been,  and  may  again  be  their  enemies. 

I  slept  one  night  in  the  English  camp,  and  Colonel 
Calliot  paiu  me  the  greatest  attention.  The  next  day  I 
obtained  permission  to  go  on  my  parole  to  Pondicherry, 
where  I  remained  several  months,  and  made  every 
possible  exertion  to  procure  my  exchange.  When  the 
place  was  invested  by  the  English,  I  was  summoned, 
together  with  the  other  prisoners  of  war,  to  repair  to 
Madras,  •  I  accordingly  went  to  that  place,  where  I 
found  almost  two  thirds  of  the  officers  of* the  king's 
army,  taken  on  different  occasions.  I  was,  therefore,  at 
Madras  when  the  English,  having  made  themselves  mas- 
ters of  Pondicherry,  resolved  to  send  all  the  French 


OP   THE   FATTTSALA31.  S3 

officers  to  England.  I  was,  in  consequence,  directed  to 
hold  myself  in  readiness  for  embarking ;  Lord  Pigott,  the 
Gov.  of  Madras,  kindly  permitted  me  to  choose  the  way 
by  which  I  wished  to  be  conveyed  to  England.  1  chose 
that  of  Bengal,  on  account  of  the  good  accommoda- 
tions which  Lord  Pigott  had  provided  me  on  board 
the  Hawk,  and  I  shall  never  forget  the  favors  and 
civilities  he  conferred  upon  me.  By  this  arrangement 
I  hoped  to  alleviate  the  hardships  and  fatigues  of  my 
passage  to  Europe.  The  apprehensions  arising 
from  the  prospect  of  such  a  long  voyage,  with  up- 
wards of  fifty  prisoners  of  war,  of  all  descriptions, 
confined  within  a  narrow  compass,  and  suffering 'ma- 
ny inconveniencies  ;  but,  above  all,  the  necessity  to 
which,  as  I  was  informed,  we  should  be  reduced,  of  liv- 
ing seven  or  eight  months  on  salt  provisions,  though 
the  company  had  given  orders  to  the  contrary,  induced 
me  to  take  this  step,  as  the  safest  under  such  circum- 
stances. It  was  however,  the  cause  of  all  my  subse- 
quent misfortunes. 

The  Hawk,  in  which  I  was  to  be  conveyed  to  Europe 
proceeded  without  me  from  Madras  to  Bengal,  because 
I  had  not  yet  settled  all  my  affairs.  I  was,  therefore 
ordered  to  prepare  to  join  her  by  the  first  opportunity 
that  should  offer,  and  which  could  not  be  far  distant  in 
a  season  when  vessels  were  sailing  every  week  for 
the  gulf. 

The  first  ship  that  happened  to  depart  was  the  Fat- 
tysalain,  which  had  been  buill  at  Bombay  ami  had  nev- 
er been  employed  but  in  the  India  seas.  She  was  in- 
tended to  carry  great  part  of  the  stores  taken  by  the 
English,  and  near  500  troops,  which  had  been  thought 
fit  to  send  to  Bengal,  because  after  the  reduction  of  Pon- 
dicherry,  they  were  not  wanted  on  that  coast. 

In  this  unfortunate  vessel  I  embarked  on  the  2Gfh  of 
August,  1761,  and  the  same  day  set  sail.  On  the  28tli 
between  ten  and  eleven  in  the  morning  the  captain  of 
the  ship,  in  Confidence,  told  Major  Gordon,  the  princi- 
pal officer  of  the  troops,  that  there  were  seven  feet  water 
in  the  hold,  that  notwithstanding  the  exertions  of  the 
men,  the  water  co«tinued  to  gain  upon  them,  and  that 
the  ship  could  not  live  above  two  hours  longer, 


S£  I>03S    OF    THE   FATTYSALAM. 

When  the  people  had  been  nearly  two  hours  employ- 
ed lightening  the  vessel,  by  throwing  every  thing  over- 
board, I  kept  a  watchful  eye  upon  the  captain.  I  saw 
him  speaking  to  the  Major,  with  an  air  of  consterna- 
tion, denoting  the  greatest  misjbrtune.  I  advanced  tow- 
ards them  and  asked  in  a  whisper,  in  English,  what  was 
the  matter.  Major  Gordon  with  a  tremulous  voice  re- 
peated what  he  had  just  heard  of  the  captain.  Struck 
with  the  dreadful  intelligence,  but  not  deprived  of  the 
power  of  acting,  I  instantly  formed  my  resolution.  Cut- 
ting short  all  useless  words,  I  only  asked  the  captain  if 
we  might  not  save  ourselves  by  taking  possession  of  the 
boat  which  was  laden  with  pigs,  and  in  tow  astern  of  the 
vessel.  He  replied  with  the  most  dejected  and  discour- 
aging look,  that  this  expedient  would  only  cause  us  to 
survive  a  few  hours,  those  we  should  leave  on  board  ; 
and  he  did  not  think  this  measure  practicable  among  so 
many  soldiers  and  sailors.  This  answer  convinced  me 
that  the  pusillanimous  captain  had  no  resource.  I  told 
him  we  would  undertake  the  execution  of  the  design, 
and  that,  for  his  part,  he  had  only  to  observe  two  points, 
not  to  mention  it  to  others,  and  to  follow  when  he  should 
see  us  in  the  fatal  boat.  He  immediately  left  us.  The 
major  and  I  being  left  together,  concerted  our  escape 
from  the  vessel,  which  we  executed  in  less  than 
two  minutes.  He  decended  from  the  deck  by  a 
private  ladder,  into  the  great  cabin,  to  inform  the 
officers  of  his  regiment,  who  might  chance  to  be 
there,  of  our  design,  for  the  moments  were  too  precious 
to  go  ejswhere  to  seek  them.  For  my  part,  I  called 
r.iy  servant,  a  trusty  fellow,  on  whom  I  could  depend. 
He  had  been  a -soldier  in  my  company,  and  had  likewise 
been  taken  prisoner ;  but  I  had  obtained  his  liberty  of 
Lord  Pigoit.  I  told  him  in  few  words  our  intention. 
I  immediately  shut  the  door,  that  the  people  might 
not  see  us  from  the  forecastle.  As  the  ship,  though  ve- 
ry large,  had  no  gallery,  I  directed  my  servant  to  go  out 
at  one  of  the  windows  of  the  cabin,  and  by  means  of  a 
rope  he  let  himself  down  into  the  boat.  I  had  previ- 
ously furnished  him  with  my  sword  and  a  hatchet,  order- 
ing him  to  despatch  without  mercy  all  that  attempted 
get  into  the  boat,  excepting  they  came  from  the  si 


B 


LOSS    OP   TUB   FATTYSALAM.  97 

I  was  stationed  to  conduct  our  decent.  Every 
thing  was  executed  in  the  best  manner  ;  this  intelligent 
servant  kept  the  boat  for  us  till  all  those  whom  it  was 
intended  to  receive,  had  descended,  and  our  little  em- 
barkation was  effected  with  such  success  and  expedition 
that  he  was  not  under  the  necessity  of  making  use  of 
his  weapons.  As  soon  as  the  captain,  who  through  his 
irresolution  had  nearly  lost  the  boat,  had  entered  with 
the  restj  the  first  thing  we  did  was  to  cut  the  rope  by 
which  she  was  fastened  to  the  vessel,  and  to  push  off, 
so  that  in  a  short  time  we  had  got  a  considerable 

!    distance. 

We  were  now  in  an  open  boat,  abandoned  to  the  im- 

;  pulse  of  the  wind  and  waves,  to  the  number  of  twenty-five 
persons,  among  whom  were  two  young  ladies,  the  wives 
of  English  officers,  in  Coote's  regiment,  all  badly  ac- 
commodated, ill-clothed,  and  mixed  higgledy  piggledy 
with  the  hogs.  Our  first  purpose  was  to  make  room, 
for  which  purpose  we  began  to  throw  the  pigs  overboard  ; 

i  but  a  lucky  reflection  of  one  of  the  company,  caused 
us  to  keep  seven,  in  order,  that  at  all  events,  we  might 

r  not  be  reduced  to  the  horrible  necessity  of  devouring 
each  other,  which  must  have  been  the  case  without  this 

I   wretched  resource.     Having  thus  cleared  the  boat  a  little, 

.  we  were  obliged  to  attend  to  another  point  equally  press- 
ing. Each  of  us  took  off  his  coat  or  waist-coat,  to 
make  a  sail  to  our  bark,  and  even  the  ladies  were  each 
obliged  to  give  one  of  the  petticoats  they  had  on,  which 
were  only  of  muslin.  All  these  things  being  joined  and 
tied  together,  with  our  handkerchiefs  torn  into  slips, 
formed  a  kind  of  sail,  equally  weak  and  awkward. 

While  we  were  thus  employed,  the  unfortunate  crew 
kept  making  signals  that  every  thing  was  repaired,  with 
a  view  to  induce  us  to  return.  This  artifice  was  employ- 
ed by  our  wretched  companions,  in  the  hope  of  saving 
themselves  in  our  boat.  If  we  had  been  so  weak  as  to 
lisieu  to  our  captain,  who  fell  into  such  an  evident  snare, 
we  should  have  gone  back,  and  all  have  perished  togeth- 
er. We,  however,  took  care  not  to  go  near  them,  and 
it  was  fortunate  for  us  that  we  did  ;  for  a  few  minutes 
afterwards  tire  ship  presented  the  most  distressing  spec- 


SB  &QSS  OP  THE  FATTYSALAM:, 

tacle.  She  was  no  longer  under  government ;  some*, 
times  she  drifted  away,  and  at  others  she  turned  round 
like  a  whirlwind.  Soon  afterwards  one»-of  the  masts 
went  by  the  board  ;  another  followed,  and  the  third  went 
Jftext.  The  ship  was  now  a  cheer-hulk,  still  floating  at 
the  will  of  the  waves ;  but  which  appeared  to  be  kept 
afloat  only  by  the  incessant  exertions  of  the  poor  wretch- 
es, whose  piercing  cries  filled  us  with  horror.  A  fog 
eame  on ;  we  could  no  Jonger  distinguish  the  vessel,  and 
.^he  must  in  a  short  time  have  gone  to  the  bottom. 

It  is  always  by  comparison,  that  we  are  fortunate  or 
miserable.  What  great  reason  had  we  to  thank  Heaven 
lor  having  preserved  us  from  the  fate  to  which  between 
rive  and  six  hundred  persons  left  on  board  were  doom- 
ed ?  But  what  was  the  price  of  our  escape  ?  For 
what  miseries  reserved  ?  And,  how  melancholy  oiir 
situation  ! 

In  the  open  sea,  in  a  crazy  boat5  which  a  single  wave 
would  have  sent  to  the  bottom,  in  the  hand  of  Provi- 
dence, without  compass,  or  any  other  rigging  than  our 
little  sail,  which  required  all  our  attention. 

We  had  not  a  drop  of  water,  nor  provisions  of  any 
kind.  Constantly  wet  with  the  waves  which  entered 
our  boat,  and  continually  -employed  in  bailing  the  water, 
with  which  we  were  incessantly  inundated ;  and,  not- 
withstanding this  fatiguing  labor,  were  shivering  with 
cold,  because  we  had  very  few  clothes  to  cover  our- 
selves, and  those  few  were  thoroughly  soaked.  In  this 
rotate  we  floated  at  the  mercy  of  the  waves  seven  days 
and  seven  nights. 

Our  only  nourishment  was  a  spoonful  and. a  half  of 
pig's  blood,  distributed  to  each  every  twenty-four  hours ; 
tor  in  order  to  allow  two  spoonfuls,  it  was  necessary  to 
mix  with  it  a  little  salt  water  ;  and  never  was  any  thing 
jnore  exactly  measured  than  this  scanty  pittajice.  Ma- 
ny of  us,  whose  appetites  and  stomachs  were  equally 
good,  eat  the  flesh  of  the  pigs  quite  raw,  and  we  killed 
one  each  day,  so  that  on  the  seventh  we  had  nothing 
left.  My  principal  regale  was  the  liver,  or  coagu- 
lated blood,  which  I  only  sucked,  and  then  spit  it 
out.  My  servant,  pur  butcher,  air,  ays  reserved  fba* 
for  mr, 


LOSS   €>F   THE   FATTYSALAM,  99 

Soon  after  twelve  o'clock  of  the  seventh  night,  we 
thought  we  heard  a  noise,  that  at  first  appeared  very 
strange,  but  which  we  afterwards  judged  to  proceed  from 
the  dashing  of  breakers  against  the  rocks,  or  against 
some  shore.  We  floated  between  fear  and  joy,  and  im- 
patiently waited  for  day-light.  That  light,  so  slow  in  its 
approach,  at  length  arrived,  and  every  thing  disappeared 
Judge  of  the  revolution  produced  in  our  minds  and  bo- 
dies by  this  vain  hope  destroyed,  as  soon  as  conceived. 
It  plunged  us  into  such  profound  consternation,  that  we 
£houk)  not  have  been  able  to  bear  up  against  it,  had 
not  the  hand  of  the  Almighty  speedily  afforded  relief. 

About  seven  the  same  morning,  one  of  the  company 
cried  out,  "  Land,  or  something  like  it."  We  now  dis- 
tinguished in  the  horizon  a  speck  which  our  ardent  desire 
to  meet  with  land,  actually  caused  us  to  take  for  such. 
Nature  was  once  more  animated  by  a  ray  of  hope.  We 
directed  our  course  towards  the  point  which  appeared 
in  the  horizon,  and  at  nine  began  to  distinguish  hills,  but 
saw  no  land  till  we  were  en  the  beach,  because  the 
shore  is  so  extremely  low.  It  is  impossible  to  describe 
<he  effect  this  cheering  sight  produced  upon  us.  I  will, 
however,  endeavor  to  give  you  some  idea  of  it.  We 
all  immediately  experienced  a  certain  impression  of  joy, 
vigor  of  life,  with  which  our  souls  were  penetrated,  as  a 
person  is  penetrated  by  the  heat,  when  after  enduring 
excessive  cold,  he  comes  to  a  good  fire,  whose  genial 
influence  re-animates  his  benumbed  powers.  We  felt  a 
delicious  sensation  of  our  feeble  existence,  and  this  sen- 
sation diffused  through  all  our  faculties,  seemed  to  re- 
store us  to  new  life.  It  is  only  those  who  have  been  in 
the  same  situation  that  can  know  the  inexpressible  en- 
joyment of  a  moment  of  which  assuredly  no  other  situa- 
tion in  life  can  afford  an  idea. 

The  question  now.  was  how  to  disembark.  Here  we 
were  under  some  embarrassment ;  for  the  surf  was  very 
strong,  and  the  desert  appearance  of  the  coast,  on  which 
we  discovered  neither  house,  nor  inhabitants,  nor 
chelinguis,  (small  boats,  which  ate  used  in  the  East-In- 
dies for  embarking  and  going  on  shore),  were  a  more 
convincing  proof  than  the  assertion  of  the  pusillanimous 
captain,  that  no  European  boat  had  ever  landed  there. 


200  LOSS    OF   THE    FATTYSALAM. 

A  consultation  was  held,  in  which  it  was  resolved  to 
make  the  attempt,  to  let  those  save  themselves  who  could. 
This  opinion  supported  by  those  who  could  swim,  and 
particularly  by  the  captain,  who  even  declared  that  he 
was  sure  of  getting  on  shore  safe,  was  too  contrary  to 
humanity. to  be  adopted  by  good  sense.  It  was  the  same 
as  condemning  those  who  unfortunately  were  not  famil- 
iar with  the  water,  and  in  particular  the  two  females, 
and  myself,  Who  knew  no  more  how  to  swim  than  they, 
to  almost  inevitable  death,  at  least,  excepting  the  Al- 
mighty should  work  a  new  miracle  in  our  behalf.  I 
reprobated  the  measure,  and  told  the  captain  in  a  firm 
lone,  that  it  should  not  be  executed  as  long  as  I  had 
breath  ;  that  since  part  of  the  company  were  in  the  same 
predicament  with  myself,  and  my  servant,  whose  life 
was  as  dear  to  me  as  my  own,  it  was  their  duty  to  steer 
the  boat  in  such  a  manner,  that  we  might  all  get  to  land 
in  safety.  I  added,  holding  my  sword  drawn  before 
him,  that  he  should  answer  with  his  life,  for  that  of  eve- 
ry individual. 

At  these  words  an  English  officer,  of  the  name  of 
Scott,  a  hot-headed  man,  and  almost  inclined  to  the 
most  violent  measures,  exclaimed,  "What!  does  a* 
single  Frenchman,  and  prisoner  of  war,  here  pretend  to 
give  law  to  us,  and  dare  to  call  us  barbarians  ?" — "  Sir," 
said  I,  calrnly,  "  our  common  misfortune  renders  us  all 
equal  ;  I  am  free  here  as  well  as  you,  and  repeat  it  at 
ilie  risk  of  all  the  satisfaction  that  may  be  demanded  of 
me  when  on  shore,  the  captain  shall  answer  with  his  life, 
fbr  the  lives  of  all  our  companions." 

The  captain  being  intimidated,  ordered  two  Lascars, 
good  swimmers,  that  had  escaped  with  us,  to  plac'e 
themselves  beside  me,  and  not  to  quit  me  till  I  was  on 
shore.  He  then  went  to  the  helm,  and  managed  so  skil- 
fully, or  rather  with  such  good  fortune,  that  we  ran 
aground  without  any  accident.  In  consequence,  howev- 
er, of  a  very  natural  impatience,  twelve  of  our  compan- 
ions, the  moment  the  boat  struck,  leaped  into  the  water, 
and  even  some  of  those  who  could  swim  nearly  perished. 
They  were  besides  separated  from  us,  the  boat  being 
thrown  by  two  waves  into  a  river,  which  we  did  not  per- 
ceive till  we  had  entered  it.  This  river  was  so  rapid  that 


LOSS    OF   THE    F/T'YY^ALA^.  10 1 

e\ir  boat  was  soon  driven '  :a«i'ouhd,  aba  vve  tltfi?  kail  an 
opportunity  of  getting  OH  shone.1 

I  wish  I  could  describe  this  moment :  but  how  shall 
I  trace  it  with  all  its  circumstances,  with  the  simplicity, 
the  energy,  the  truth  of  nature.  We  scarcely  felt  the 
ground,  when  each  occupied  only  with  himself  and  the 
single  sentiment  of  his  own  preservation,  no  longer 
thought  of  his  companions.  Our  eyes  sought  only  fresh 
water,  ami  something  to  prolong  our  existence.  We 
perceived  a  small  lake,  and  we  instantly  ran  to  its  banks, 
plunging  overhead  ,in  the  water  like  ducks,  to  alky  a 
dreadful  thirst,  a  thirst  of  seven  whole  days,  to  *  hich  the 
heat  of  a  burning  fever  bears  no  comparison.  It  would 
be  necessary  to  have  endured,  for  the  same  length  of 
time,  the  devouring  fire  of  thirst,  of  all  human  wants  the 
most  insupportable,  and  the  most  pressing,  to  form  any 
conception  of  ours,  and  our  eagerness  to  appease  it.  In 
such  a  situation,  the  sufferer  would  give  for  a  glass  of 
water,  all  the  gold  and  all  the  diamonds  of  India  ;  lie 
would  give  the  world.  From  this  you  may  jud<re  of  our 
protracted  sufferings,  our  transports  on  the  banks  of  the 
lake,  and  the  delight  we  experienced.  Having  drank 
our  fill,  we  began  some  to  eat  the  grass,  and  others  the 
shell-fish,  which  fortunately  happened  to  be  on  the 
where  we  landed,  and  during  forty-eight  hours  >ve  had 
no  other  nourishment. 

We  now  began  to  be  distressed  at  our  separation  info 
two  parties.  We  endeavored  to  join  each  other  r 
but  being  prevented  by  the  depth  of  the  torrent  that 
separated  us,  each  company  began  to  inarch  'towards 
the  interior  of  the  country,  in -quest  of  some  habitation. 
The  country  belonged  to  the  dominions  of  the  Rajah  of 
Arsapour,  situated  near  the  mouth  of  the  Ganges.  We 
had-  not  advanced  far,  when  a  sna-re  was  laid  for  us  by 
the  natives,  that  they  might  the  more  easily  get  us  into 
their  power.  Two  fishermen  by  whom  we  had  been 
discovered,  were  directed  to  tell  us  to  remain  where  we 
were.  They  assured  us  that  the  sovereign  of  the  place 
was  informed1  of  our  arrival  in  his  dominions,  t?:at  he 
was  acquainted  with  our  disaster,  and  our  unfortunate 
tion,  and  that  being  a  priiiee  of  a  benevolent  dispo 
1  very  soon  send  us  relief  of  every  kind. 
12 


102  LU§S  '  o.*1;  -.HIS;  PATTYSALAM. 

A,fewJioufsiiftGrvV£'rds  a  quantity  of  rice  and  hog's  lard 
was  a<^al]7;l^oii^t4t|,,^mth  the  Rajah's   compliments, 


and  a  promise  that  the  following  day  we  should  be  shel- 
tered from  the  inclemency  of  :the  air,  and  particularly 
the  night  dews,  which  was  very  dangerous  in  that  cli- 
mate. This  promise  they  punctually  performed,  for  the 
next  day  people  came  to  fetch  us,  but  it  was  for  the  pur- 
pose of  conducting  us  to  a  small  island,  to  be  kept  as 
prisoners.  Each  of  the  two  divisions  was  conducted  by 
a  different  route,  and  we  knew  riot  what  had  become  of 
the  other.  There  we  remained  seven  weeks,  having  no 
other  nor«rishment  than  black  rice,  on  paying  for  it,  and 
twice  a  week  detestible  salt  fish  ;  and  to  procure  even 
this  we  were  obliged  to  sell  every  thing  we  had  about  us. 
We,  however,  found  means  to  tame  two  blacks,  to 
whose  care  we  were  consigned,  and  to  procure  of  them 
some  indulgencies.  One  of  our  ladies,  Mrs.  Tait,  a  na- 
tive of  Irelan:!,  who  had  a  good  voice,  sung  them  some 
English  songs,  to  which  they  listened  with  great  pleasure, 
ihough  they  understood  not  a  word  of  them.  This  com- 
plaisance obtained  us  from  time  to  time  some  fruits  and 
other  refreshments.  The  water  we  had  to  drink  was  so 
unwholesome,  that  out  of  the  two  companies  thirteen 
died,  and  the  twelve  survivors  were  all  attacked  with 
levers  or  dropsies,  and  were  either  livid  or  yellow, 
and  so  disfigured,  that  no  one  would  have  taken  us  for 
Europeans, 

But  as  no  distress  is  so  great  as  to  deprive  men  of  all 
hope  or  the  power  of  relieving  themselves  from  it,  so 
«>ur  attention  was  incessantly  directed  towards  the  means 
of  escaping  from  our  island.  The  twolascars  who  were 
in  our  company,  appeared  likely  to  aid  us  in  the  design. 
'With  a  pencil,  which  one  of  the  ladies  chanced  to  have 
preserved,  we  wrote  a  note  to  Barasole,  where  the  Eng- 
i-sh  have  a  small  factory.  This  we  prevailed  upon  the 
lascars  to  take,  promising  them  a  considerable  sum  of 
money,  if  we  should  be  released  from  captivity,  and  on. 
our  arrival  at  the  first  European  settlement.  The  lascars 
complied  with  our  desire,  and  notwithstanding  the  diffi- 
culties of  the  journey,  they  set  off.  They  were  obliged 
io  swim  across  three  or  four  very  large  rivers,  and  al- 
ways io  travel  in  the  night,  to  prevent  being  discovered 


LO$S    OF   THE    FATTYSALAM.  I0i» 

by  the  natives.  Having  escaped  many  dangers  by  their 
dexterity,  or  surmounted  them  by  their  boldness  and 
perseverance,  they  at  length  arrived  at  Cattack  the  resi- 
dence of  a  Rajah,  or  chief  of  the  Mahrattas.  On  their 
arrival  at  that  place  they  were  carried  before  the  Rajah, 
and  being  interrogated  respecting  their  business  there, 
they  gave  an  account  of  our  shipwreck,  the  manner  in 
which  we  had  escaped,  the  distresses  we  had  since  expe- 
rienced, and  our  confinement  by  the  Rajah  of  Arsapour. 
They  did  not  forget  to  add  that  we  had  with  us  two  young 
white  women,  and  that  the  men  were  people  of  conse- 
quence. The  Mahratta  chief  then  inquired  if  the  men 
were  proper  for  soldies  ;  likewise  asked  whether  the  wo-* 
men  were  very  fair,  and  handsome  enough  for  his  se- 
raglio. The  lascars  having  satisfied  him  relative  to  these 
particulars,  the  Rajah  immediately  sent  for  the  son  of 
the  Rajah  of  Arsapour,  who  was  then  his  hostage,  and 
ordered  him  to  write  to  his  father,  to  send  off  to  Cat- 
tack  immediately  on  receipt  of  his  letter,  the  Europeans, 
both  men  and  women,  whom  he  had,  for  two  months, 
kept  prisoners  in  an  island.  Conformably  to  the  policy 
of  all  the  petty  sovereigns  of  India,  he  likewr;^  took 
care  to  order  that  we  might  be  sent  by  the  worst  and  least 
frequented  roads,  to  conceal  us  as  much  as  possible  from 
the  sight  of  the  natives.  The  order  for  our  departure 
having  been  separately  to  the  two  parties,  we  set  off  with 
our  guides,  and  had  proceeded  some  hours,  when  we 
met.  We  had  been  parted  two  months,  and  during  this 
interval  had  received  no  tidings  of  each  other  ;  you  may 
therefore  conceive  how  great  our  joy  on  seeing  one  an- 
other again.  We  mutually  learned  the  death  of  those  of 
our  companions,  which  each  party  had  lost;  and  skele- 
tons, walking  spectres,  that  could  scarcely  walk,  con- 
gratulated ctich  other  on  being  still  alive. 

The  distance  to  Cattack  was  fourteen  days'  journey ; 
this  we  travelled  on  foot,  and  almost  without  shoes. 
Our  journeys  were  very  short,  because  we  were  all  ill, 
and  exhausted  witli  fatigue  ;  besides,  our  way  led  almost 
continually  through  marshes,  up  to  our  waists  in  mud. 
We  had  several  large  rivers  to  cross,  in  the  passage  of 
which  those  whv>  could  swim  assisted  the  others.  Tbe 
two  young  English  women*  who  certainly  were  not  f. 


104  LOSS    OF    THE    FATTYSALAM. 

ed  for  such  hardships,  were  in  a  most  deplorable  con- 
dition, and  the  sufferings  of  these  poor  creatures  seemed 
to  aggravate  our  own  distresses.  One  of  them,  Mrs. 
Nelson,  died  four  days  before  we  reached  Cattack  but  the 
other,  though  three  months  advanced  in  her  pregnancy, 
was  so  fortunate  as  to  arrive  at  that  place  in  safety. 

Although   exhausted  with  fatigue  at  the  end  of  each 
day's  journey,  we   were  obliged  to  pass  the  night  under 
trees,  because  the  people  of  the  country  would  not  per-  • 
mit  us  to  set  foot  in  their  houses,  the  exercise  of  hospi- 
tality towards  Europeans  being  prohibited  by  their  reli- 
gion.    We,  at  length,  arrived  at  Cattack,  but  some  sev- 
eral days  before  the  others.     There  we  learned  that  the 
English  had  a  factory  in  the  place  and  repaired  thither 
immediately  ;  but  we  found  only  some  seapoys  in  the 
Company's  pay,  and  not  a  single  European.     The  sea- 
poys received  us  with  great  kindness,  and  moved  by  our 
situation,  they  first  went  to  the  bazar,  or  market,  to  pro- 
cure us  some  bread.     This  we  greedily  devoured,  drink- 
ing water,  which  they  gave  us,  and  thus  made  a  delicious 
repast.     We  congratulated  one  another  on  finding  our- 
selves "^der  a  roof,  and  sheltered  from  the  inclemency 
of  the  air  ;  we  then  lay  down  and  slept.     We  expected 
the  next  day  that  the  Mahratta  chief  would  send  some 
orders  relative  to  us,  but  he  was  then  on  a  tour  in  the 
country.     His  minister  took  no  notice  of  us,  and  allowed 
us  nothing  to  subsist  upon.     The  seapoys,  therefore,  con- 
tinued to  maintain  us  in  the  best  manner  they  were  able. 
During  our  journey  from  the  island  in  which  we  had 
been.£onfined  to  Cattack,  the  two  lascars  who  had  effect- 
ed  our  release,  and  had  concealed  from  the  Mahratta 
chief  the  commission  with  which  they  were  intrusted  by 
us,  proceeded   on  their  route,  arid  arrived  at  Barrasole, 
where  they  acquainted  the  English  with   our  situation. 
They  then  went  to  Calcutta,  and  called  upon  Mr.  Van 
Sittart,  the  English  Governor  of  Bengal.     The  Governor 
lost'iio  time  in  sending  us  relief;    but,  on  account  of  the 
distance,  we  did  not  receive  it  till  twenty  or  twenty-five 
days  after  our  arrival  at  Cattack.     He  used  all  his  influ- 
ence with  the   Main-alias   to  obtain  our  liberty,  but  as 
they  were  not,  at  that  time,  on  very  good  terms  with  the 
Company,  they  re  this  favor  to  lEcrchants. 


LOSS    OF   THE    FATTYSALAM.  106 

It  was,  therefore,  necessary  that  Colonel  Coote,  the 
conqueror  of  India,  should  demand  our  release,  which 
he  obtained  without  difficulty. 

Our  Company  was  soon  anxious  to  repair  to  Barrasole, 
at  the  distance  of  six  days  journey.  As  for  me  and  my 
faithful  servant  we  did  not  wait  for  the  general  order  to 
depart,  but  set  off  before  the  rest.  1  had  found  at  Cat- 
tack  an  European,  a  native  of  Russia,  who  had  been  a 
gunner  in  M,  de  Bussy's  army,  and  was  now  an  artillery 
officer  in  the  service  of  the  Mahrattas.  As  he  under- 
stood and  could  speak  the  French  language,  I  endeavor- 
ed, without  informing  him  who  I  was,  to  learn  his  senti- 
ments relative  to  M.  de  Bussy.  He  assured  me  that  it 
was  he  who  had  given  the  Asiatics  the  highest  idea  of  the 
Europeans,  that  he  should  regret  him  all  his  life,  and 
should  never  cease  to  adore  him  ;  these  were  his  ex- 
pressions. On  this  I  told  him  I  was  a  Frenchman,  and 
prisoner  of  war  to  the  English  ;  that  I  had  with  me  a 
servaL*.  to  whom  I  was  strongly  attached,  and  that  I 
was  desirous  of  leaving  Cattack  as  speedily  as  possible. 
He  replied  that  he  would  procure  me  permission  to  leave 
the  place,  provided  the  others  should  know  nothing  of 
the  matter  till  the  moment  of  our  departure.  I  kept  the 
secret,  and  he  actually  obtained  a  Kind  of  permission 
for  me  and  i  nt.  I  immediately  hired  two 

dooleys,  a  kind  of  hand-barrow  carried  by  men.  To 
pay  for  these  and  to  support  us  on  our  journey,  I  sold  my 
stock  buckle  and  sleeve-buttons,  the  only  things  I  had 
left.  I  then  took  leave  of  my  companions,  frankly  in- 
IbrmiHg  tin-in  how  and  by  what  means  I  had  obtained 
permission  to  depart,  that  they  might  employ  the  same 
method. 

Our  journey  to  Barrasole  had  nearly  proved  fatal  to  us  ; 
being  twice  attacked  by  tigers,  and  had  the  pain  to  see  a 
Moor  that  had  been  very  serviceable  to  us  several  times, 
in  our  distress,  carried  off  at  the  distance  of  a  few  paces 
from  us,  by  one  of  these  cruel  animals.  ,  The  same 
tiger,  after  dispatching  the  unfortunate  man,  came  again 
out  of  the  wood,  and  gazed  on  us  with  a  most  terrible 
took,  but  keeping  close  together,  our  firmness,  and  the 
noise  we  made,  obliged  him  to  retire. 


J06  1X)SS"  OF   THE   FATTY3ALAM. 

On  my  arrival  at  Barrasole,  I  met  with  some  -English- 
men going  to  embark  for  Bengal.  They  proposed  to 
to  me  to  accompany  them.  I  had  scarcely  time  to  drink 
It  glass,  and  went  on  board. 

We  were  six  or  seven  days  in  reaching  Calcutta,  it 
being  so  rery  difficult  to  ascend  the  Ganges,  and  were 
again  near  perishing  in  this  short  passage,  where  you 
jmeet  with  rocks  upon  rocks,  and  dangers  upon  dangers. 
When  we  had  arrived  at  Cfoupil,  I  saw  several  of  the 
East-India  Company's  ships,  and  begged  the  English  to 
Jet  me  go  on  board  one  of  them.  They  perceived  that 
both  myself  and  my  servant  were  sick,  exhausted,  and 
in  want  of  every  thing ;  therefore,  at  the  expense  of  two 
rupees,  all  the  money  I  had  left,  I  procured  a  bcfot  to 
carry  me  on  board  the  Plassy,  commanded  by  Captain 
Ward.  When  I  had  got  on  board  this  ship,  I  imagined 
my  hardships  at  an  end,  and  every  thing  was  almost 
forgotten.  The  first  person  I  spoke  to  was  Mr.  White, 
a  captain  of  the  Company's  troops.  He  took  my  ser- 
vant and  me  for  two  soldiers  who  had  been  robbed  ;  our 
figure  and  dress,  equally  worthy  of  pity,  announced  the 
most  miserable  condition.  This  generous  Englishman, 
addressing  himself  to  me,  said,  in  his  own  language  : — 
"  Poor  soldier  !  you  are  batHy  equipped.  Who  are  you, 
and  whence  do  you  come  ?"•  I  replied  in  English,  "  you 
are  right,  I  am  a  soldier,  and  my  servant  there  is  one 
likewise ;  we  think  ourselves  very  fortunate  in  being  still 
in  existence."  I  added,  that  I  was  one  out  of  twelve 
who  had  escaped  from  the  ship  Fatty salam,  which  had 
been  lost,  together  with  the  crew,  on  the  coast  of  Coro- 
mandel ;  that  I  was  indebted  for  my  life,  in  the  first 
place,  to  my  soldiers'  courage,  and  in  the  next,  to  the 
exertions  of  my  servant,  whom  he  saw  overwhelmed 
with  disease,  and  unable  to  stand ;  and  concluded  with 
telling  him  my  name  and  rank.  Mr.  White  immediately 
went  to  his  cabin,  and  brought  me  a  change  of  clothes 
from  head  to  foot,  of  which  I  certainly  stood  in  great 
need,  for  I  had  for  ten  weeks  worn  the  same  shirt,  all  in 
tatters ;  my  servant  only  dipped  it  from  time  to  time  in 
water,  to  ease  me  a  little.  The  poor  fellow,  who  was 
quite  naked,  was  likewise  supplied  with  clothes. 


tit 


LOSS   OF  THE   FATTY3ALAM.  107 

White  then  presented  me  with  some  chocolate  and  some- 
thing to  eat ;  but  I  was  so  weak  that  the  smell  only  of 
the  chocolate  had  nearly  made  me  faint,  and  I  could 
not  eat  any  thing.  I  drank  some  tea,  and  that  was  all  I 
could  get  down.  I  received  a  thousand  other  civilities 
from  this  worthy  man,  and  the  captain  shewed  me  eaual 
kindness.  When  I  had  changed  my  things  and  taken 
my  tea,  those  gentlemen  proposed  to  me  to  go  up  the 
Ganges  to  Calcutta  with  them,  in  a  vessel  that  was  just 
going  to  set  off.  I  consented,  but  not  without  great  re- 
gret, at  being  obliged  to  leave  behind  me  in  the  vessel 
my  faithful  companion,  who  was  attacked  with  a  violent 
fever.  However,  as  there  was  no  other  alternative,  and 
as  the  kindness  of  those  gentlemen,  both  to  him  and  to 
me,  rendered  me  easy  with  regard  to  his  fate,  I  left  him, 
but  not  without  great  reluctance.  He  died  soon  after- 
wards in  the  English  hospital  at  Calcutta. 

We  arrived  at  that  place  the  next  day.  I  went  to  the 
governor,  Mr.  Van  Sittart,  who  received  me  with  great 
humanity,  and  assigned  me,  as  a  prisoner  of  war,  120 
rupees  per  month  for  my  subsistence.  I  was  in  great 
want,  and  he  did  not  make  me  any  advance.  I  had  re- 
course to  my  benefactor,  Mr.  White,  who  lent  me  300 
rupees,  which  J  expended  in  the  purchase  of  linen  and 
clothes.  I  was  two  months  without  drawing  the  allow- 
ance assigned  me  by  the  governor.  I  was  about  to 
receive  it,  when  I  suddenly  received  an  order  to 
embark  in  the  Hawk,  which  was  still  on  the  coast. 
I  was  sick,  and  had  no  linen  made  up,  nor  any  thing 
necessary  to  set  out  on  so  long  a  voyage.  I  was,  how- 
ever, pressed  to  set  off.  Colonel  Coote  had  the  kind- 
ness to  defer  my  departure,  and  the  Hawk  sailed  without 
me.  I  therefore  had  time  to  equip  myself.  I  flattered 
myself  that  Mr.  Van  Sittart,  to  whom,  in  the  quality  of 
an  officer  of  the  king's  etat-major  and  captain  of  his 
forces,  I  offered  the  necessary  securities,  or  bills  of  ex- 
change on  the  French  East-India  Company,  would  ad-  ' 
vance  me  a  sum  to  pay  the  debts  which  my  situation 
had  obligee!  me  to  contract :  but  in  this  hope  I  found 
myself  mistaken.  I  mentioned  this  subject  shortly 
before  my  departure  to  Colonel  Cootc,  who  sent  mo 


103  LOSS    ©P   THE   FATTYSALAM. 

300  rupees.  The  governor  hearing  of  it,  likewise  trans- 
mitted me  400.  This  was  all  I  received  from  him,  and 
I  could  not  help  receiving  this  scanty  relief,  that  I  might 
leave  no  debts  behind  me. 

On  the  2d  of  February,  I  left  Calcutta  and  returned  to 
Goupil,  on  the  Ganges,  where  I  embarked  in  the  Hol- 
dernesse,  commanded  by  Captain  Brooke.  I  was  receiv- 
ed with  great  kindness  by  the  captain,  who  had  on  board 
thirteen  or  fourteen  other  French  officers,  prisoners  like 
myself.  The  ship  arrived  without  accident,  and  afte* 
a  month's  residence  at  London,  I  was  permitted  to  r6' 
tarn  to  France. 


109 


THE   LOSS   OF 

HIS  MAJESTY'S  SHIP  LITCHFIELD, 

Sf  Fifty  Guns,  on  the  Coast  ofBarbary,  Nov.  SO,  1758, 
(By  Lieutenant  Soutfierland.J 


HE  Litchfield,  Captain  Barton,  left  Ireland  on 
the  llth  of  November,  1758,  in  company  with  several 
other  men  of  war  and  transports,  under  the  command  of 
Commodore  Keppel,  intended  for  the  reduction  of 
Goree.  The  voyage  was  prosperous  till  the  29th,  when 
at  eight  in  the  evening  I  took  charge  of  the  watch,  and 
the  weather  turned  out  very  squally,  with  rain.  At  nine 
it  was  extremely  dark,  with  much  lightning,  the  wind 
varying  from  S.-W.  to  W.  N.  W.  At  half  past  nine,  had 
a  very  hard  squall.  Captain  Barton  came  upon  deck 
and  staid  till  ten ;  and  then  left  orders  to  keep  sight  of 
the  Commodore,  and  make  what  sail  the  weather  would 
permit.  At  eleven  saw  the  Commodore  bearing  south, 
but  the  squalls  coining  on  so  heavy,  we  were  obliged  to 
hand  the  main  top-sail,  and  at  twelve  o'clock,  were  under 
our  courses. 

November  30th,  at  one  in  the  morning,  I  left  the  deck 
in  charge  of  the  first  lieutenant ;  the  light,  which  we  took 
to  be  the  Commodore's,  right  ahead,  bearing  S.  wind 
W.  S.  W.  blowing  very  hard.  At  six  in  the  morning  I 
was  awaked  by  a  great  shock,  and  a  confused  noise  of 
the  men  on  deck.  I  ran  up,  thinking  some  ship  had 
run  foul  of  us»,  for  by  my  own  reckoning,  and  that  of 
every  other  person  in  the  ship,  we  were  at  least  36  leagues 
distant  from  land  ;  but,  before  I  could  reach  the  quarter- 
deck, the  ship  gave  a  great  stroke  upon  the  ground,  and 
the  sea  broke  over  her.  Just  after  this  I  could  perceive 
K 


HO  LOSS    OF   THE   LITCHFIELD. 

the  land  rocky,  rugged,  and  uneven,  about  two  cable's 
length  from  us.  The  ship  lying  with  her  broadside  to 
windward,  the  masts  soon  went  overboard,  carrying 
some  men  with  them.  It  is  impossible  for  any  but  a 
sufferer  to  feel  our  distress  at  this  time ;  the  masts, 
yards,  and  sails  hanging  along  side  in  a  confused  heap ; 
the  ship  beating  violently  upon  the  rocks ;  the  waves 
curling  up  to  an  incredible  height,  then  dashing  down 
with  such  force  as  if  they  would  immediately  have  split 
£he  ship  to  pieces,  which  we,  indeed,  every  .moment 
expected.  Having  a  little  recovered  from  our  confusion, 
we  saw  it  necessary  to  get  every  thing  we  could  over  to 
the  larboard  side,  to  prevent  the  ship  from  heeling  off, 
and  exposing  the  deck  to  the  sea.  Some  of  the  people 
were  very  earnest  to  get  the  boats  out  contrary  to  ad- 
vice ;  and,  after  much  intreaty,  notwithstanding  a  most 
terrible  sea,  one  of  the  boats  was  launched,  and  eight  of 
ihe  best  men  jumped  into  ber,  but  she  had  scarcely  got 
to  the  ship's  stern  when  she  was  whirled  to  the  bottom, 
and  every  soul  in  her  perished.  The  rest  of  the  boats 
were  soon  washed  to  pieces  on  the  deck.  We  then 
made  a  raft  with  the  davit,  capstan-bars,  and  some 
boards,  and  waited  with  resignation  for  providence  to 
assist  us.  The  ship  soon  filled  with  water,  so  that  we 
had  no  time  to  get  any  provision  up ;  the  quarter-deck 
and  poop  were  now  the  only  places  we  could  stand  upon 
with  security,  the  waves  being  mostly  spent  by  the  time 
they  reached  us,  owing  to  their  breaking  over  the  fore 
part  of  the  ship. 

At  four  in  the  afternoon,  perceiving  the  sea  to  be  much 
abated,  one  of  our  people  attempted  to  swim,  and  got 
safe  on  shore.  There  were  numbers  of  Moors  upon  the 
rocks  ready  to  take  hold  o!  any  one,  and  beckoned 
much  for  us  to  come  ashore,  which,  at  first,  we  took 
for  kindness,  but  they  soon  undeceived  us,  for  they  had 
not  the  humanity  to  assist  any  that  was  entirely  naked, 
but  would  fly  to  those  who  had  any  thing  about  them, 
and  strip  them  before  they  were  quite  out  of  the  water, 
wrangling  among  themselves  about  the  plunder ;  in  the 
mean  time  the  poor  wretches  were  left  to  crawl  up  the 
rocks  if  they  were  able,  if  not,  they  perished  unregard- 
ed. The  second  lieutenant  and  myself,  with  about  j 


LOSS    OF   THE    LITCHFIELD.  Ill 

sixty-five  others,  got  ashore  before  dark,  but  were  left 
exposed  to  the  weather  on  the  cold  sand.  To  preserve 
ourselves  from  perishing  of  cold,  we  were  obliged  to  go 
down  to  the  shore,  and  to  bring  up  pieces  of  the  wreck 
to  make  a  fire.  While  thus  employed,  if  we  happened 
to  pick  up  a  shirt  or  handkerchief,  and  did  not  give  it  to 
the  Moors  at  the  first  demand,  the  next  thing  was  a  dag- 
ger presented  to  our  breasts. 

They  allowed  us  a  piece  of  an  old  sail,  which  they 
did  not  think  worth  carrying  off :  with  this  we  made  two 
tents,  and  crowded  ourselves  into  them,  sitting  between 
one  another's  legs  to  preserve  warmth,  and  make  room. 
In  this  uneasy  situation,  continually  bewailing  our  misery, 
and  that  of  our  poor  shipmates  on  the  wreck,  we  passed 
a  most  tedious  night,  without  so  much  as  a  drop  of  water 
to  refresh  ourselves,  excepting  what  we  caught  through 
our  sail-cloth  covering. 

November  30th,  at  six  in  the  morning,  went  dcw?i 
with  a  number  of  our  men  upon  ttie  rocks,  to  assist  our 
shipmates  in  coming  ashore,  and  found  the  ship  had  been 
greatly  shattered  in  the  night.  It  being  now  low  water, 
many  attempted  to  swim  ashore ;  some  arrived,  but 
others  perished.  The  people  on  board  got  the  raft  into 
the  water,  and  about  fifteen  men  placed  themselves  upon 
it.  They  had  no  sooner  put  oiT  from  the  wreck,  than  it 
overturned  ;  most  of  them  recovered  again,  but  scarcely 
were  they  on,  before  it  was  a  second  time  overturned. 
Only  three  or  four  got  hold  of  it  again,  and  all  the  rest 
perished.  In  the  mean  time,  a  good  swimmer  brought 
with  much  difficulty  a  rope,  which  I  Lad  the  good  for- 
tune to  catch  hold  of,  just  when  he  was  quite  spent,  and 
had  thoughts  of  quiting  it.  Some  people  coming  to  my 
assistance,  we  pulled  a  large  rope  ashore,  with  that,  and 
made  it  fast  round  a  rock.  We  found  this  gave  great 
spirits  to  the  poor  souls  upon  the  wreck  ;  for,  it  being 
hauled  taught  from  the  upper  part  of  the  stern,  made  an 
easy  decent  to  any  who  had  art  enough  to  walk  or  slide 
upon  a  rope,  with  a  smaller  rope  fixed  above  to  hold  by. 
This  was  the  means  of  saving  a  cumber  of  lives,  though 
many  were  washed  off  by  the  impetuous  surf,  and  per- 
ished. The  flood  coming  on,  raised  the  surf,  and  pre- 
vented any  more  from  coming  at  that  time,  so  thr.t  the 


112  LOSS    OF   THE    LITCHFIELD. 

ropes  could  be  of  no  further  use.  We  then  retired  from 
the  rocks  ;  and  hunger  prevailing,  we  set  about  broiling 
some  of  the  drowned  turkeys,  &c.  which,  with  some 
Hour  mixed  into  a  paste,  and  baked  upon  the  coals,  con- 
stituted our  first  meal  upon  this  barbarous  coast.  We 
found  a  well  of  fresh  water  about  half  a  mile  off,  which 
very  much  refreshed  us.  But  we  had  scarcely  finished 
this  coarse  repast,  when  the  Moors,  who  were  now 
grown  numerous,  drove  us  all  down  to  the  rocks  to  bring 
up  empty  iron  bound  casks,  pieces  of  the  wreck  which 
had  the  most  iron  about  them,  and  other  articles. 

About  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  we  made  another 
meal  on  the  drowned  poultry,  and  finding  that  this  was 
the  best  provision  we  were  likely  to  have,  some  were 
ordered  to  save  all  they  could  find,  others  to  raise  a 
larger  tent,  and  the  rest  sent  down  to  the  rocks  to  look 
for  people  coming  ashore.  The  surf  greatly  increasing 
with  the  flood,  and  breaking  upon  the  fore  part  of  the 
ship,  she  was  divided  into  three  parts  ;  the  fore  part 
turned  keel  up,  the  middle  part  soon  dashed  into  a  thou- 
sand pieces  ;  the  fore  part  of  the  poop  likewise  fell  at  this 
time,  and  about  thirty  men  with  it,  eight  of  whom  got 
ashore  with  our  help,  but  so  bruised,  that  we  despaired 
of  their  recovery.  Nothing  but  the  after-part  of  the 
poop  now  remained  above  water,  and  a  very  small  part 
of  the  other  decks,  on  which  our  captain,  and  about  1 30 
more  remained,  expecting  every  wave  to  be  their  last. 
Every  shock  threw  some  off;  few  or  none  of  whom 
came  on  shore  alive.  During  this  distress,  the  Moors 
laughed  uncommonly,  and  seemed  much  diverted, 
when  a  wave,  larger  than  usual,  threatened  the 
destruction  of  the  poor  wretches  on  the  wreck.  Be- 
tween four  and  five  o'clock  the  sea  was  much  decreased 
with  the  ebb  :  the  rope  being  still  secure,  the  people 
be^an  to  venture  upon  it ;  some  tumbled  off  and  perish- 
ed, but  others  reached  the  shore  in  safety. 

About  five,  we  beckoned  as  much  a  possible  for  the 
captain  to  come  upon  the  rope,  as  this  seemed  to  be  as 
good  an  opportunity  as  any  we  had  seen  ;  and  many 
arrived  in  safety  with  our  assistance.  Some  told  us  that 
the  captain  was  determined  to  stay  till  all  the  men  had 
quitted  the  wreck  ;  however,  we  still  continued  to  beck- 


LOSS   aF   THE   LITCIIFIELD,  113 

on  for  him,  and  before  it  was  dark,  saw  him  come  upon 
the  rope.  He  was  closely  followed  by  a  good  able  sea- 
man, who  did  all  he  could  to  keep  up  his  spirits  and 
assist  him  in  warping.  As  he  could  not  swim,  and  had 
been  so  many  hours  without  refreshment,  with  the  surf 
hurling  him  violently  along,  he  was  unable  to  resist  the 
force  of  the  waves,  had  lost  his  hold  of  the  great  rope, 
and  must  inevitably  have  perished,  had  not  a  wave 
thrown  him  within  the  reach  of  our  ropes,  which  he 
had  barely  sufficient  sense  to  catch  hold  of.  We  pulled 
him  up,  and  after  resting  a  short  time  on  the  rocks,  he 
came  to  himself,  and  walked  up  to  the  tent,  desiring  us 
to  continue  to  assist  the  rest  of  the  people  in  coming  oa 
shore.  The  villains,  the  Moors,  would  have  stripped 
him,  though  he  had  nothing  on  but  a  plain  waistcoat  and 
breeches,  if  we  had  not  plucked  up  a  little  spirit  and 
opposed  them ;  upon  which  they  thought  proper  to  desist. 
The  people  continued  to  come  ashore,  though  many 
perished  in  the  attempt.  The  Moors,  at  length,  grow- 
ing tired  with  waiting  for  so  little  plunder,  would  not 
suffer  us  to  remain  on  the  rocks,  but  drove  us  all  away. 
I  then,  with  the  captain's  approbation,  went,  and  by 
signs  made  humble  supplication  to  the  bashaw,  who  was 
in  the  tent  dividing  the  valuable  plunder.  He  under- 
stood us  at  last,  and  gave  us  permission  to  go  down,  at 
the  same  time  sending  some  Moors  with  us.  We  carried 
fire-brands  down  to  let  the  poor  souls  on  the  wreck  see 
that  we  were  still  there  in  readiness  to  assist  them. 
About  nine  at  night  finding  that  no  more  men  would  ven- 
ture upon  the  rope,  as  the  surf  was  again  greatly  increas- 
ed, we  retired  to  the  tent,  leaving  by  the  account  of  the 
last  man  that  arrived,  between  thirty  and  forty  souls  up- 
on the  wreck.  We  now  thought  of  stowing  every  body 
in  the  tent,  and  began  by  fixing  the  captain  in  the  mid- 
dle. Then  made  every  man  lie  down  on  his  side, 
as  we  could  not  afford  them  each  a  breadth  ;  but,  after 
all,  many  took  easier  lodgings  in  empty  casks. 

The  next  morning  the  wei-.ther  was  moderate  and  fair. 
We  found  the  wreck  all  in  pieces  on  the  rocks,  and  the 
shore  covered  with  lumber.  The  people  upon  the 
wreck  all  perished  about  one  in  the  morning.  In  the 
afternoon  we  called  a  muster,  and  found  the  number  of 
K2 


114  LOSS    OF   THE    LITCIIFIELDc 

the  survivors  to  be   220  ;  so  that  130  perished  on  this 
melancholy  occasion. 

On  the  2d  of  December,  the  weather  still  continued 
moderate.  We  subsisted  entirely  on  the  drowned  stock, 
and  a  little  pork  to  relish  it,  and  the  flour  made  into 
cakes ;  all  of  which  we  issued  regularly  and  sparingly, 
being  ignorant  whether  the  Moors  would  furnish  us  with 
any  thing,  they  being  still  very  troublesome,  and  even 
wanting  to  rob  us  of  the  canvas  which  covered  our  tent. 
At  two  iij  the  afternoon  a  black  servant  arrived,  sent  by 
Mr.  Butler,  a  Dane,  factor  to  the  American  Company 
at  Saffy,  a  town  at  the  distance  of  about  thirty  miles,  to 
inquire  into  our  condition  and  to  offer  us  assistance. 
The  man  having  brought  pens,  ink  and  paper,  the  cap- 
tain sent  back  a  letter  by  him.  Finding  there  was 
one  who  offered  us  help,  it  greatly  refreshed  our  afflicted 
hearts. 

v  In  the  afternoon  of  the  following  day,  we  received  a 
letter  from  Mr.  Butler,  with  some  bread,  and  a  few  oth- 
er necessaries.  On  the  4th,  the  people  were  employed 
in  picking  up  pieces  of  sails,  and  whatever  else  the 
Moors  would  permit  them.  We  divided  the  crew  into 
messes,  and  served  the  necessaries  we  received  the  pre- 
ceding day.  They  had  bread,  and  the  flesh  of  the 
drowned  stock.  In  the  afternoon  we  received  another 
letter  from  Mr.  Butler,  and  one  at  the  same  time  from 
Mr.  Andrews,  an  Irish  gentleman,  a  merchant  at  Saffy. 
The  Moors  were  not  so  troublesome  now  as  before, 
most  of  them  going  off  with  what  they  had  got. 

On  the  5th  the  drowned  stock  was  entirely  consumed, 
and  at  low  water  the  people  were  employed  in  collecting 
muscles.  At  ten  in  the  morning,  Mr.  Andrews  arrived, 
bringing  a  French  surgeon  with  medicines  and  plaisters, 
of  which,  some  of  the  men  who  had  been  dreadfully 
bruised,  stood  in  great  need.  The  following  day,  we 
served  out  one  of  the  blankets  of  the  country  t6  every 
two  men,  and  pampooses,  a  kind  of  slippers,  to  those 
who  were  in  most  want  of  them.  These  supplies  were 
likewise  brought  us  by  Mr.  Andrews.  The  people  were 
now  obliged  to  live  upon  muscles  and  bread,  the  Moors, 
who  promised  us  a  supply  of  cattle,  having  deceived  us, 
and  never  returned, 


LOSS    OF   THE    LITCHFIELD,  115 

The  people  on  the  7th  were  still  employed  in  collect- 
ing muscles  and  limpets.  The  Moors  began  to  be  a  little 
civil  to  us,  for  fear  the  emperor  should  punish  them  for 
their  cruel  treatment  to  us.  In  the  afternoon,  a  messen- 
ger arrived  from  the  emperor  at  Bailee,  with  general  orders 
to  the  people  to  supply  us  with  provisions.  They  ac- 
cordingly brought  us  some  lean  bullocks  and  sheep  which 
Mr.  Andrews  purchased  for  us  ;  but  at  this  time  we  had 
no  pots  to  make  broth  in,  and  the  cattle  were  scarcely 
fit  for  any  thing  else. 

In  the  morning  of  the  10th,  we  made  preparations  for 
marching  to  Morocco,  the  emperor  having  sent  orders 
for  that  purpose,  and  camels  to  carry  the  lame  and  the 
necessaries.  At  nine,  set  off  with  about  thirty  camels, 
having  got  all  our  liquor  with  us,  divided  into  hogsheads, 
for  the  convenience  of  carriage  on  the  camels.  At  noon, 
joined  the  crews  of  one  of  the  transports  and  a  bomb- 
tender,  that  had  been  wrecked  about  three  leagues  to 
the  northward  of  us.  "We  were  then  all  mounted  upon 
camels,  excepting  the  captain,  who  was  furnished  with 
a  horse.  We  never  stopped  till  seven  in  the  evening, 
when  they  procured  us  two  tents  only,  which  would  not 
contain  one  third  of  the  men,  so  that  most  of  them  lay 
exposed  to  the  dew,  which  was  very  heavy,  and  ex- 
tremely cold.  We  found  our  whole  riumher  to  be 
338,  including  officers,  men,  boys,  and  three  women 
and  a  child  which  one  of  the  women  brought  ashore  in 
her  teeth. 

On  the  llth  continued  our  journej",  attended  by  a 
number  of  Moors  on  horseback.  At  six  in  the  even- 
ing we  came  to  our  resting-place  for  that  night,  and 
were  furnished  with  tents  sufficient  to  cover  all  our 
men. 

At  five  in  the  morning  of  the  ]2th,  we  set  out  as  be- 
fore, and,  at  two  in  the  afternoon,  saw  the  emperor's 
cavalcade  at  a  distance.  At  three,  a  relation  of  the  em- 
peror's, named  Muii  Adrix,  came  to  us,  and  told  the 
captain  it  was  the  emperors  orders,  he  should  that  in- 
stant write  a  letter  to  our  governor  at  Gibraltar,  to  send 
to  his  Britannic  majesty  to  inquire  whether  he  would 
settle  a  peace  with  him  or  not.  Captain  Barton  iminc- 
}y  sat  down  upon  the  grass  and  wrote  a  ittter, 


Ht>  LOSS    OF   THE    L1TCHF1ELD. 

which,  being  given  to  Muli  A<Jrix,  he  went  and  joined 
the  emperor  again.  At  six  in  the  evening  came  to  our 
resting-place  for  the  night,  and  were  well  furnished  with 
tents,  but  very  little  provisions. 

We  were,  the  following  day,  desired  to  continue  on 
the  same  spot,  till  the  men  were  refreshed,  and  this  re- 
pose they  greatly  needed,  and  we  received  a  better  sup- 
ply of  provisions.  That  morning,  Lieutenant  Harrison 
commanding  the  soldiers  belonging  to  Lord  Forbes'  re- 
giment, died  suddenly  in  the  tent.  In  the  evening,  while 
employed  with  his  interment,  the  inhuman  Moors  dis- 
turbed us  by  throwing  stones  and  mocking  us.  The 
next  day  we  found  that  they  had  opened  the  grave  and 
stripped  the  body. 

On  the  16tb,  we  continued  our  journey,  came  to  our 
'•jg -place  at  four  in  the  afternoon,  pitched  the  tents^ 
•  -rd  served  out  the  provisions.  Here  our  people  were 
ill-treated  by  some  of  the  country  Moors.  As  they 
were  taking  water  from  a  brook,  the  Moors  would  al- 
ways spit  into  the  vessel  before  they  would  suffer  them 
to  take  it  away.  Upon  this  some  of  us  went  down  to 
inquire  into  the  affair,  but  were  immediately  saluted 
with  a  shower  of  stones.  We  ran  in  upon  them,  beat 
some  of  them  pretty  soundly,  put  them  to  flight,  and 
brought  away  one  who  thought  to  defend  himself  with 
a  long  knife.  This  fellow  was  -severely  punished  by 
the  officer  who  had  the  charge  of  conducting  us. 

The  two  succeeding  days  continued  our  journey,  and, 
at  three  in  the  afternoon  of  the  18th,  arrived  at  the  city 
of  Morocco,  without  having  seen  a  single  habitation 
during  the  whole  journey.  Here  we  were  insulted  by 
the  rabble  and,  at  five,  were  carried  before  the  empe- 
ror, surrounded  by  five  or  six  hundred  of  his  guards. 
He  was  on  horseback  before  the  gate  of  his  palace,  that 
being  the  place  where  he  distributes  justice  to  his  peo- 
ple. He  told  Captain  Barton,  by  an  interpreter,  that 
he  was  neither  at  peace  nor  wer  with  England,  and  he 
would  detain  us  till  an  ambassador  arrived  from  that 
country  to  conclude  a  permanent  treaty.  The  captain 
then  desired  that  we  might  not  be  treated  as  slaves.  He 
answered  hastily,  that  we  should  be  taken  care  of.  We 
v*  ere  then  immediately  hurried  out  of  his  presence,  con- 


LOSS    OF   THE    LITCHPIELD.  117 

veyed  to  i  wo  old  ruinous  houses,  shut  up  amidst  dirt  and  in- 
numerable vermin  of  every  description.  Mr  Butler  be- 
ing at  Morocco  on  business,  came  and  supplied  us  with 
victuals  and  drink,  and  procured  liberty  for  the  captain 
to  go  home  wKh  him  to  his  lodgings.  He  likewise  sent 
some  blankets  for  the  officers,  and  we  made  shift  to 
pass  the  night  with  tolerable  comfort,  being  very  much 
fatigued. 

At  nine  in  the  morning  of  the  21st,  the  emperor  sent 
orders  for  the  captain  and  every  officer  to  appear  before 
him.  We  immediately  repaired  to  his  palace  ;  we  re- 
mained waiting  in  an  outer  yard  two  hours  :  in  the  mean 
time  he  diverted  himself  with  seeing  a  clumsy  Dutch 
boat  rowed  about  in  a  pond  by  four  of  our  petty  officers. 
About  noon  we  were  called  before  him,  and  placed  in  a 
line  about  thirty  yards  from  him.  He  was  sitting  in  a  chair 
by  the  side  of  the  pond,  accompanied  only  by  two  of 
his  chief  alcaides.  Having  viewed  us  some  time,  he 
ordered  the  captain  to  come  forward,  and  after  asking 
him  a  good  many  questions  concerning  our  navy,  and 
destination  of  the  squadron  to  which  we  had  belonged, 
we  were  also  called  forward  by  two  and  three  at  a  time  as 
we  stood  according  to  our  rank.  He  then  asked  most  of  us 
some  very  insignificant  questions,  and  took  some  to  be 
Portuguese  because  they  had  black  hair,  and  others  to 
be  Swedes  because  their  hair  was  li£;ht.  He  judged  none 
of  us  to  be  English  excepting  the  captain,  the  second 
lieutenant,  the  ensign  of  the  soldiers,  and  myself.  But 
assuring  him  we  were  all  English,  he  cried  Bonno,  and 
gave  a  nod  for  our  departure,  to  which  we  returned  a 
very  low  bow,  and  were  glad  to  retu,  n  to  our  old  ruined 
houses  again.  Our  total  number  amounted  to  thirty. 

On  the  25th,  being  Christmas-day,  prayers  were  read 
to  the  people  as  usual  in  the  church  of  England.  The 
captain  this  day  received  a  present  of  tea  and  loaves  of 
sugar  from  one  of  the  queens,  whose  grand-father  had 
been  an  English  renegado. 

In  the  afternoon  of  the  26th,  we  received  the  disa- 
greeable intelligence,  that  the  Emperor  would  oblige  ail 
the  English  to  work,  like  all  the  other  Christian  slaves, 
excepting  the  officer 3  who  were  before  him  on  the  21st. 


118  LOSS    OF   THE    LITCHFIELD. 

The  next  day  this  account  was  confirmed  ;  for,  at  seven 
in  the  morning,  an  alcaide  came  and  ordered  all  our 
people  to  work,  excepting  the  sick.  Upon  our  applica- 
tion, eight  were  allowed  to  stay  at  home  every  day  to 
cook  for  the  rest,  and  this  office  was  performed  by  turns 
throughout  the  whole  company.  At  four  in  the  after- 
noon the  people  returned,  some  having  been  employed 
in  carrying  wood,  some  in  turning  up  the  ground  with 
hoes,  and  others  in  picking  weeds  in  the  Emperors  gar- 
den. Their  victuals  was  prepared  for  them  against  their 
return. 

On  the  28th,  all  the  people  went  to  work  as  soon  as 
they  could  see,  and  returned  at  four  in  the  afternoon. 
Two  of  the  soldiers  received  one  hundred  bastinadoes 
each,  for  behaving  in  a  disrespectful  manner  while  the 
Emperor  was  looking  at  their  work. 

On  the  30th,  Captain  Barton  recived  a  kiud  message 
from  the  Emperor,  with  permission  to  ride  out  or  take  a 
walk  in  his  garden  with  his  officers. 

From  this  Untie  the  men  continued  in  the  same  state 
of  slavery  till  the  arrival  in  April,  of  Captain  Milbauk, 
sent  as  an  ambassador  to  the  Emperor.  He  concluded 
a  treaty  for  the  ransom  of  the  crew  of  the  Litchfield, 
together  with  the  other  English  subjects  in  the  Emperor's 
power,  and  the  sum  stipulated  to  be  paid  for  their  release, 
was  170,000  dollars.  Our  people  accordingly  set  out 
for  Bailee,  attended  by  a  bashaw  and  two  soldiers  on 
horseback,  On  the  fourth  day  of  their  march,  they  had 
a  skirmish  with  some  of  the  country  Moors.  The  dis- 
pute began  in  consequence  of  some  of  our  men  in  the 
rear  stopping  at  a  village  to  buy  some  milk,  for  which-, 
after  they  had  drank  it,  the  Moors  demanded  an  ex- 
orbitant price.  This  our  men  refused  to  give,  on  which 
the  Moors  had  recourse  to  blows,  which  our  people  re- 
turned ;  and  others  coming  to  their  assistance,  they 
maintained  a  smart  battle,  till  the  enemy  became  too 
numerous.  In  the  mean  time  some  rode  off  to  call  the 
guard,  who  instantly  came  up  with  their  drawn  scyme- 
tars,  and  dealt  round  them  pretty  briskly.  During  this 
interval  we  were  not  idle,  and  had  the  pleasure  to  see  the 
blood  trickling  down  a  good  many  of  their  faces.  The 


^  L09S    OP  THE   LITCHPIELD.  IK) 

guards  seized  the  chief  man  of  the  village,  and  carried 
him  before  the  bashaw,  who  was  our  conductor,  and  who 
having  heard  the  cause,  dismissed  him  without  farther 
punishment,  in  consideration  of  his  having  been  well 
drubbed  by  us. 

On  the  22d  of  April,  we  arrived  at  Sallee,  and  pitched 
our  tents  in  an  old  castle,  from  whence  we  soon,  after- 
wards embarked  on  board  the  Gibraltar,  which  landed 
us  at  Gibraltar  on  the  27th  of  June.  From  that  place 
the  Captain  and  crew  were  put  on  board  the  Marlborough 
store  ship,  prepared  expressly  for  their  reception,  and 
arrived  in  England  in  the  month  of  August,  17  60. 


120 


.SHIPWRECK   OP   THE 

PORTUGUESE  VESSEL  THE  ST.  JAMES, 

-Off  the  Coast  of  Africa,  in  1586, 

JL  HE  Portuguese  still  maintained  towards  the 
*  jsnd  of  the  sixteenth  century,  that  reputation  which  they 
had  acquired  in  the  East  Indies,  by  their  conquests  and 
their  courage.  Their  prosperity  was,  however,  occa- 
sionally interrupted  by  misfortunes,  which  were  some- 
times attributed  to  the  obstinacy  and  ignorance  of  the 
Captains  commanding  the  vessels  of  that  nation.  Of 
the  fatal  effects  arising  from  those  causes,  the  following 
narrative  affords  a  striking  instance. 

In  the  month  of  May,  1586,  intelligence  was  received 
at  Goa  of  the  loss  of  the  Admiral's  ship,  the  St.  James. 
The  account  of  this  disaster  stated,  that  after  doubling 
the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  the  Captain  conceiving  he  had 
neither  rocks  nor  other  dangers  to  dread,  proceeded  un- 
der full  sail,  without  observing  his  charts,  or  at  least  not 
with  the  attention  he  ought.  Having  a  favorable  wind, 
he  made  much  way  in  a  short  time,  but  was  driven  out 
of  his  course  towards  the  rocks  called  Bassas  de  India, 
distant  about  fifty  leagues  from  the  island  of  Madagascar, 
and  seventy  from  the  continent. 

Perceiving  they  were  so  near  these  rocks,  and  in  im- 
minent danger  of  striking  upon  them^  several  of  the 
passengers,  who  had  frequently  traversed  those  seas, 
were  much  alarmed.  They  represented  to  the  Captain, 
that  being  in  the  midst  of  the  rocks,  it  was  extremely 
dangerous  to  suffer  the  ship  to  run  under  fuil  sail,  parti- 
cularly during  the  night,  and  in  a  season  when  tempests 
were  very  frequent,  The  Captain  regardless  of  their 


LOSS    OF   THE    ST.   JAMES.  I2t 

prudent  remonstrances,  exerted  his  authority,  ordered 
the  pilots  to  follow  his  commands,  adding,  that  the  king's 
commission  entitled  him  to  obediance,  and  that  his  opia- 
ion  ought  to  be  taken  in  preference.  However,  between 
eleven  and  twelve  o'clock  the  same  night  the  vessel  was 
driven  towards  the  rocks,  and  struck  without  a  possibil- 
ity of  being  got  off.  A  confused  cry  of  distress  resound- 
ed, in  every  direction,  from  a  multitude  composed  of 
above  five  hundred  men  and  thirty  women,  who  having 
no  oth^r  prospect  before  their  eyes  but  inevitable  des- 
truction, bewailed  their  fate  with  the  bitterest  lamenta- 
tions. Every  effort  to  save  the  ship  proved  Ineffectual. 
The  admiral,  Fernando  Mendoza,  the  captain,  the  first 
pilot,  and  ten  or  twelve  other  persons,  instantly  threw 
themselves  into  the  boat  saying,  they  would  seek  upon 
the  rocks  a  proper  place  for  collecting  the  wreck  of  the 
ship,  with  which  they  might  afterwards  construct  a  ves- 
sel large  enough  to  convey  the  whole  of  the  crew  to 
the  continent.  With  this  view  they  actually  landed  en 
the  rock,  but  being  unable  to  find  a  spot  proper  for  the 
execution  of  their  design,  they  did  not  think  proper  to 
return  to  the  ship,  but  resolved  to  steer  towards 
the  African  coast.  Some , provisions  which  had  been 
thrown  in  haste  into  the  boat  were  distributed  among 
i  hi 'in  ;  they  then  directed  their  course  towards  the 
continent  of  Africa,  where  they  arrived  in  safety, 
after  a  voyage  of  seventeen  days,  and  enduring 
all  the  horrors  of  famine  and  tempestuous  weather. 

Those  who  remained  on  board  finding  that  the  baat 
did  not  return,  began  to  despair  of  saving  their  lives. 
To  add  to  their  distress  the  vessel  parted  between  the 
t\vo  decks,  and  the  pinnace  was  much  damaged  by  the 
repeated  shocks  she  sustained  from  the  fury  of  the 
waves.  The  workmen,  though  very  expert,  despaired 
of  being  able  to  repair  her,  when  an  Italian,  named 
Cypriano  Grimaldi,  leaped  into  her,  accompanied  by 
ninety  of  the  crew,  and  assisted  by  most  of  those  who 
had  followed  him  instantly  fell  to  work  to  put  her  into  a 
condition  to  keep  the  sea. 

Those  who  could  not  get  on  board  the  pinnace  beheld 
her  bearing  av/ay  from  the  wreck  with  tears  and  lamen- 
L 


I**  LOSS    OF   THE    ST.    JAMES. 

iations.  Several  who  could  swim  threw  themselves  into 
the  sea,  in  the  hope  of  overtaking  her ;  and  some  were 
on  the  point  of  getting  on  board,  when  their  more  fortu- 
nate comrades  fearing  they  should  be  sunk  with  the 
weight  of  all  those  who  endeavored  to  obtain  admit- 
tance pushed  them  back  into  the  sea,  and  with  their 
sabres  and  hatchets  cut,  without  mercy,  the  hands  of. 
such  as  would  not  quit  their  hold.  It  is  impossible  to 
describe  the  anguish  of  those  who  remained  on  the  float- 
ing fragments  of  the  wreck,  and  witnessed  this  barba- 
rous scene.  Seeing  themselves  cut  off  from  every 
-resource,  their  cries  and  lamentations  would  have  melt- 
ed the  hardest  heart.  The  situation  of  those  in  the 
pinnace  was  not  much  better ;  their  great  number,  the 
want  of  provisions,  their  distance  from  the  land,  and  the 
bad  condition  of  the  crazy  bark  that  bore  them, 
contributed  to  fill  them  with  gloomy  presenti- 
ments. Some  of  the  most  resolute,  however,  to  pre- 
vent the  anarchy  and  confusion  which  would  have  aggra- 
vated their  misery,  proposed  to  their  companions  to 
submit  to  the  authority  of  a  captain.  To  this  they  all 
agreed,  and  immediately  chose  a  nobleman  of  Portu- 
guese extraction,  but  born  in  India,  to  command  them, 
investing  him  with  absolute  power.  He  instantly  em- 
ployed his  authority,  in  causing  the  weakest,  whom  he 
/.ly  pointed  out  with  his  finger,  to  be  thrown  over- 
board. In  the  number  of  these  was  a  carpenter,  who 
had  assisted  in  repairing  the  pinnace ;  the  only  favor  he 
requested  was  a  little  wine,  after  which  he  suffered  him- 
self  to  be  thrown  into  the  sea  witout  uttering  a  word. 
Another,  who  was  proscribed  in  the  same  manner,  was 
stived  by  an  uncommon  exertion  of  fraternal  affection. 
He  was  already  seized  and  on  the  point  of  being  sacri- 
ficed to  imperious  necessity,  when  his  younger  brother 
demanded  a  moment's  delay.  He  observed  that  his 
brother  was  skilful  in  his  profession,  that  his  father  and 
mother  were  very  old,  and  his  sisters  not  yet  settled  in 
Life  :  that  he  could  not  b.e  of  that  service  to  them  which 
bis  Brother  might,  and,  #s  circumstances  required  the 
sacrifice  of  one  of  the  two,  he  begged  to  die  in  his  stead. 
fas  complied  with,  and  he  was  accordingly 


LOSS    OF   THE    ST.    JAMES.  123 

thrown  into  the  sea.  But  this  courageous  youth  follow- 
ed the  bark  upwards  of  six  hours,  making  incessant 
efforts  to  get  on  board,  sometimes  on  one  side,  and 
sometimes  on  the  other,  while  those  who  had  thrown 
him  over  endeavored  to  keep  him  off  with  their  swords. 
But  that  which  appeared  likely  to  accelerate  his  end, 
proved  his  preservation.  The  young  rnan  snatched  at  a 
swoni,  seized  it  by  the  blade,  and  neither  the  pain,  u-.-.r 
the  exertions  made  by  him  who  held  it,  could  make 
hinl  quit  his  grasp.  The  others,  admiring  his  resolu- 
tion, and  moved  with  the  proof  of  fraternal  affection 
which  he  had  displayed,  unanimously  agreed  to  permit 
him  to  enter  the  pinnace.  At  length,  after  having 
endured  hunger  and  thirst,  and  encountered  the  dan- 
gers of  several  tempests,  they  landed  on  the  coast  of 
Africa,  on  the  twentieth  day  after  their  shipwreck,  and 
there  met  with  their  companions  who  had  escaped  in 
the  first  boat. 

The  rest  of  (he  crew  and  passengers  left  on  the  wreck 
likewise  attempted  to  reach  the  land.  Collecting  some 
loose  rafters  and  planks,  they  formed  a  kind  of  raft,  but 
were  overwhelmed  by  the  first  sea,  aud  all  perished, 
excepting  two  who  gained  the  shore.  Those  who  had 
reached  the  coast  of  Africa  had  not  arrived  at  the  end 
of  their  sufferings  ;  they  had  scarcely  disembarked 
when  they  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  CaffVees,  a  savage 
and  inhuman  people,  who  stripped  and  left  them  in  the 
most  deplorable  state.  However,  mustering  up  their 
courage  and  the  little  strength  they  had  left,  they  arriv- 
ed at  the  place  where  the  agent  of  the  Portuguese,  at 
Sofala  and  Mozambique,  resided.  By  him  they  were 
received  with  the  utmost  humanity,  and  after  reposing  a 
few  days,  after  their  fatigues,  they  reached  Mozambi- 
que, and  repaired  from  thence  to  India.  Only  sixty 
survived  out  of  all  those  who  had  embarked  in  the  St. 
James  ;  all  the  rest  perished  either  at  sea,  of  fatigue, 
or  hunger.  Thus  the  imprudence  of  an  individual  occa- 
sioned the  loss  of  a  fine  vessel,  and  the  lives  of  above 
four  hundred  and  fifty  persons. 

Upon  the  captains  return  to  Europe,  the  widows  and 
orphans  of  the  unfortunate  sufferers  raised  such  loud 


2£-;i  LOSS    OF   THE    ST.    JAMES. 

complaints  against  him  that  he  was  apprehended  and 
put  in  prison ;  but  he  was  soon  afterwards  released. 
The  former  catastrophe  was  not  a  sufficient  lesson  for  this 
*elf  sufficient  and  obstinate  man.  He  .undertook  the 
command  of  another  vessel  in  1588,  and  had  nearly 
)ost  her  in  the  same  manner,  and  in  the  same  place. 
Fortunately,  at  sunrise  he  discovered  the  rocks,  towards 
which  he  was  running  with  the  same  imprudence  as  in 
his  former  voyage.  But  on  his  return  from  India,  to 
Portugal  he  was  lost,  together  with  the  vessel  he  was 
on  board  of  ;  thus  meeting  with  the  just  punishment 
of  his  culpable  obstinacy  and  misconduct. 


' 


THE    LOSS    OF    Atf 

ENGLISH  SLOOP, 

On  the  Coast  off  the  Island  of  Cape  Breton,  in  1780. 


JL  HE  man  of  true  courage,  even  in  the  most 
desperate  situations,  invariably  finds  resources  within 
himself.  Of  this  the  journal  of  Captain  Prenties,  of  the 
81th  regiment  of  foot  affords  the  reader  a  striking  exam- 
pie. 

Being  charged,  says  that  officer,  with  the  dispatches 
delivered  to  me  by  General  Haldimand,  commander  in 
chief  in  Canada,  for  General  Clinton,  I  embarked  on  the 
17th  of  November,  1780,  in  a  small  sloop  bound  from 
Quebec  to  New- York.  We  set  sail  in  company  with  a 
brig  destined  for  the  same  place,  and  carrying  a  duplicate 
of  the  dispatches.  Having  descended  the  St.  Lawrejice 
to  the  harbor  called  St.  Patrick's  Hole,  we  were  detained 
in  that  port  by  a  contrary  wind,  which  continued  six 
days.  The  winter  began  to  set  in,  and  ice,  of  consider- 
able thickness,  was  soon  formed  on  the  banks  of  the  riv- 
er by  the  intenseness  of  the  frost.  Would  to  heaven  it 
had  continued  a  few  days  longer !  By  absolutely  pre- 
venting us  from  proceeding  it  would  have  saved  us  those 
misfortunes,  the  narrative  of  which  begins  with  that  of 
our  navigation. 

Before  we  reached  the  mouth  of  the  river  it  was  dis- 
covered that  the  sloop  had  sprung  a  small  ieak.  We  had 
scarcely  entered  the  gulph,  when  the  ship  began  to  make 
considerably  more  water,  and  though  two  pumps  were 
kept  constantly  going,  we  still  had  two  feet  wafer  in  the 
hold.  On  the  other  hand,  the  seventy  of  the  frost  had 
increased,  and  the  ice  collected  about  the  ship  so  as  to 
render  us  apprehensive  of  being  entirely  surrourided. 
L2 


128          LOSS  OF  AN  ENGLISH  SLOOP. 

We  had  on  board  only  19  people,  six  of  whom  were  pas- 
sengers, and  the  others  bad  seamen.  As  for  the  captain, 
to  whom  it  was  natural  to  look  up  for  assistance  in  this 
predicament,  instead  of  attending  to  the  preservation  of 
the  ship,  he  passed  his  time  in  getting  drunk  in  his  cabin, 
without  bestowing  a  thought  upon  our  safety. 

The  wind  continuing  to  blow  with  the  same  violence, 
and  the  water  having  risen  in  the  hold  to  the  height  of 
four  feet,  cold  and  fatigue  produced  a  general  despon- 
dency among  the  crew.  The  seamen  unanimously  re- 
solved to  desist  from  their  work.  They  abandoned  the 
pumps,  and  shewed  the  utmost  indifference  to  their  fate, 
declaring  they  would  rather  go  to  the  bottom  with  the 
ship,  than  exhaust  themselves  by  useless  labor  in  such  a 
desperate  situation.  It  must  be  acknowledged,  that  for 
several  days  they  had  undergone  excessive  fatigue,  with- 
out any  interval  of  relaxation.  The  inactivity  of  the 
captain  had  the  effect  of  disheartening  them  still  more. 
However,  by  encouragement  and  promises,  and  by  the 
distribution  of  wine,  which  I  ordered  very  seasonably  to 
refresh  them,  I  at  length  overcame  their  reluctance. 
During  the  interruption  of  their  labor  the  water  had  risen 
another  foot  in  the  hold ;  but  their  activity  was  so  in- 
creased by  the  warmth  of  the  liquor  which  I  gave  them 
every  half  hour,  and  they  stuck  so  closely  to  their  work, 
that  the  water  was  soon  reduced  to  less  than  three  feet. 

It  was  now  the  2d  of  December.  The  wind  appeared 
every  day  to  become  more  violent  instead  of  abating. 
The  cracks  in  the  vessel  continued  to  increase,  while  the 
ice  attached  to  her  sides  augmented  her  weight  and  check- 
ed her  progress.  It  was  necessary  to  keep  constantly 
breaking  this  crust  of  ice  which  threatened  to  envelope 
the  ship.  The  brig  by  which  we  were  accompanied,  so 
&r  from  being  able  to  lend  us  any  assistance,  was  in  a  sit- 
uation still  more  deplorable,  having  struck  upon  the 
rocks  near  the  Island  of  Coudres,  through  the  ignorance 
of  the  pilot.  A  thick  snow,  which  then  began  to  fall, 
concealed  her  from  us.  The  guns  which  we  fired  alter- 
nately every  half  hour,  formed  the  whole  of  our  corres- 
pondence. We  soon  had  the  mortification  to  find  that 
our  signals  were  not  answered.  She  perished,  together 
with  her  crew  of  sixteen  persons,  while  it  was  impossible 


LOSS  OF  AN  ENGLISH  SLOOP.         127 

for  us  even  to  perceive  their  disaster,  or  to  endeavor  to 
pick  them  up. 

The  pity  with  which  their  melancholy  fate  inspired  us 
was  soon  diverted  to  ourselves,  by  the  apprehension  of 
new  danger.  The  sea  ran  very  high,  the  snow  fell  ex- 
cessively thick,  the  cold  was  insupportable,  and  the 
whole  crew  a  prey  to  dejection.  Thus  situated,  the 
mate  exclaimed,  that  we  could  not  be  far  from  the,  Mag- 
dalen Islands,  a  confused  heap  of  rocks,  some  of 
which  raise  their  heads  above  the  sea,  while  others  are 
concealed  beneath  the  surface  of  the  water,  and  have 
proved  fatal  to  a  great  number  of  vessels  In  less  than 
two  hours  we  heard  the  waves  breaking  with  great  vio- 
lence upon  those  rocks,  and  soon  afterwards  discovered 
the  principal  island  called  the  Dead  Man,  which  we  with 
difficulty  avoided.  Our  apprehensions  of  danger  were 
not  the  less  alarming,  amidst  a  multitude  of  rocks  which 
there  was  little  probability  of  escaping  with  the  same  good 
fortune  ;  as  the  snow,  which  fell  faster  than  ever,  scarcely 
suffered  us  to  see  from  one  end  of  the  ship  to  the  other. 
It  would  be  difficult  to  describe  the  consternation  and 
horror  with  which  we  were  seized  during  the  whole  of 
this  passage.  But  when  we  had  cleared  it,  a  ray  of  hope 
dawned  upon  the  hearts  of  the  seamen,  who,  upon  con- 
sidering the  danger  they  had  just  escaped,  no  longer 
doubted  the  interposition  of  Providence  in  their  favor, 
and  redoubled  their  efforts  with  new  ardor. 

The  sea  became  more  turbulent  during  the  night,  and 
at  five  o'clock  the  next  morning  a  prodigious  wave 
broke  over  the  ship,  staved  in  her  ports,  and  filled  the 
cabin ;  the  impetuosity  of  the  waves  having  driven  in 
the  stern-post,  we  endeavored  to  stop  the  apertures  with 
beef  cut  in  slices,  but  this  feeble  expedient  proved  inef- 
fectual, and  the  water  continued  to  gain  upon  us  more 
rapidly  than  ever.  The  affrighted  crew  had  suspended, 
for  a  moment,  the  working  of  the  pumps  ;  when  they 
were  about  to  resume  their  labor,  they  found  them 
frozen  so  hard  that  it  was  impossible  to  work  them  after- 
wards. 

From  that  moment  we  lost  all  hope  of  saving  the  ship, 
and  all  our  wishes  were  confined  lo  her  keeping  above 
water,  at  least  till  we  reached  St.  John's,  or  sonic 


123  LOSS    OF   AN   ENGLISH    SLOOP. 

island  in  the  gulph,  where  we  might  be  able  to  land  with 
the  aid  of  our  boat. 

Being  left  at  the  mercy  of  the  wind,  we  durst  not  per- 
form any  manoeuvre  for  fear  of  giving  some  dangerous 
shock  to  the  vessel.  The  weight  of  water,  which  was 
increasing  every  minute,  retarded  her  progress,  and  the 
more  rapid  waves,  whose  course  she  checked,  returned 
with  fury  and  broke  over  the  deck.  The  cabin  in  which 
we  had  again  taken  refuge,  afforded  a  feeble  protection 
against  the  howling  tempest,  and  scarcely  sheltered  us 
from  the  icy  waves.  We  were  every  moment  apprehen- 
sive of  seeing  our  rudder  carried  away,  and  our  mast  go 
by  the  board.  The  guils  and  wild  ducks  which  hovered 
around  us,  testified,  it  is  true,  that  the  land  could  not  be 
far  distant ;  but  the  very  approach  to  it  was  a  new  subject 
of  terror.  How  were  we  to  escape  the  breakers  with 
which  it  might  be  surrounded,  unable  as  we  were  to 
avoid,  or  even  to  perceive  them  through  the  cloud  of 
snow  in  which  we  were  enveloped  ?  Such,  for  a  few 
hours,  was  our  deplorable  situation,  when  the  weather 
having  suddenly  cleared,  we  at  length  perceived  land  at 
the  distance  of  three  leagues. 

The  sentiment  of  joy,  with  which  the  first  sight  of  it 
inspired  us,  was  much  abated  upon  a  more  distinct  view 
of  the  enormous  rocks  which  appeared  to  rise  perpendi- 
cularly along  the  coast  in  order  to  repel  us.  The  vessel, 
besides,  shipped  such  heavy  seas  as  would  have  sunk 
her,  had  she  been  deeply  laden.  At  each  successive 
shock  we  were  afraid  of  seeing  the  ship  go  to  pieces. 
Our  boat  was  too  small  to  contain  the  whole  of  the  crew, 
and  the  sea  too  rough  to  trust  to  such  a  frail  support.  It 
appeared  as  if  we  had  made  this  fatal  land  only  to  render 
it  a  witness  of  our  loss. 

Meanwhile  we  continued  to  approach  it.  We  were 
not  above  a  mile  distant,  when  we  discovered  with 
transport^  around  the  menacing  rocks,  a  sandy  beach, 
towards  which  our  course  was  directed,  while  the  water 
decreased  so  fast  in  depth,  as  to  prevent  our  approaching 
within  fifty  or  sixty  yards,  when  the  ship  struck.  Ths 
fate  of  our  lives  was  now  about  to  be  decided  in  a  few 


JLOSS    OF   AN    ENGLISH    SLOOP.  120 

At  length  the  vessel  struck  upon  the  sand  with  great 
violence.  At  the  first  shock  the  main-mast  went  by  the 
board  and  the  tiller  was  unshipped  with  such  force  that 
the  bar  almost  killed  one  of  the  seamen.  The  furious 
seas  which  dashed  against  the  ship  on  every  side,  stove  inr 
the  stern,  so  that  having  no  longer  any  shelter  in  the 
cabin,  we  were  obliged  to  go  upon  deck,  and  to  hold 
fast  by  the  rigging,  for  fear  of  being  washed  overboard. 
In  a  few  moments  the  vessel  righted  a  little,  but  the  keel 
was  broken,  and  the  body  of  the  ship  seemed  ready  to 
go  to  pieces.  Thus  all  our  hopes  were  reduced  to  the 
boat,  which  I  had  infinite  trouble  to  get  overboard,  being; 
so  covered  within  and  without,  with  lumps  of  ice,  of 
which  it  was  necessary  to  clear  her.  Most  of  the  crew 
having  taken  wrine  to  endeavor  to  overcome  the  fright 
with  which  they  were  seized,  I  gave  a  glass  of  brandy 
to  those  who  were  sober,  and  asked  if  they  were  willing 
to  embark  with  me  in  the  boat  for  the  purpose  of  getting 
on  shore.  The  sea  was  so  rough  that  it  seemed  impos- 
sible for  our  crazy  bark  to  keep  it  a  moment  without  be- 
ing overwhelmed.  Only  the  mate,  two  seamen,  and  a 
young  passenger,  resolved  to  risk  themselves  in  the 
boat. 

In  the  first  moment  of  danger  I  put  my  dispatches  in 
a  handkerchief,  which  I  tied  round  my  waist.  Regard- 
less of  the  rest  of  my  propcrtjr,  I  seized  a  hatchet  and  a 
saw,  and  threw  myself  into  the  boat,  followed  by  the 
mate  and  my  servant,  who,  more  thoughtful  than  my- 
self, had  saved  out  of  my  box  a  purse  of  one  hundred 
and  eighty  guineas.  The  passenger  not  springing  far 
enough  fell  into  the  sea,  and  our  hands  were  so  benumed 
With  cold  as  to  be  almost  incapable  of  affording  him  the 
smallest  assistance.  When  the  two  seamen  had  got  into 
the  boat,  those  who  had  most  obstinately  refused  to  try 
the  same  fortune,  implored  us  to  receive  them  ;  but  being 
apprehensive  that  we  should  founder  with  the  w-eight  of 
such  a  number,  I  ordered  the  boat  to  put  off  from  the 
vessel.  I  soon  had  occasion  to  congratulate  myself  for 
having  stifled  a  sentiment  of  commiseration  which  might 
Jiave  proved  fatal  to  them.  Though  the  shore  was  not 
above  fifty  yards  distant,  we  were  met  half  way  by  a 
prodigious  wave,  which  half  filled  the  boat,  and  would 


130          LOSS  OF  AN  ENGLISH  SLOOP. 

infallibly  have  upset  her  had  she  been  more  heavily  la- 
den. A  second  wave  threw  us  with  violence  upon  the 
shore. 

The  joy  to  find  ourselves,  at  length,  secure  from  those 
dangers  which  had  so  long  kept  us  in  the  most  cruel 
alarms,  caused  us  to  forget,  for  a  moment,  that  we  had 
only  escaped  one  kind  of  death,  probably  to  endure 
another  more  terrible  and  painful.  While  we  embraced 
each  other,  in  our  first  transports,  and  congratulated  our- 
selves on  our  escape,  we  could  not  but  be  sensible  of  the 
distresses  of  our  companions  whom  we  had  left  on  board, 
and  whose  lamentable  cries  we  heard  amidst  the  hoarse 
noise  of  the  waves.  What  augmented  the  affliction  into 
which  we  were  plunged  by  this  sentiment,  was,  our  being 
unable  to  afford  them  any  kind  of  assistance.  Our  boat 
thrown  upon  the  sand  by  the  angry  waves,  plainly  testifi- 
ed the  impossibility  of  her  breaking  their  force  and  re- 
turning to  the  vessel. 

Night  was  fast  approaching,  and  we  had  not  been  long 
upon  this  icy  shore,  when  we  found  ourselves  benumbed 
with  cold.  We  were  obliged  to  walk  over  the  snow, 
which  sunk  under  our  feet,  to  the  entrance  of  a  little 
wood  about  two  hundred  yards  from  the  shore,  which 
sheltered  us  a  little  from  the  piercing  northwest  wind. 
We  yet  wanted  afire  to  warm  our  chilled  limbs,  and  had 
no  meaRS  of  kindling  one.  The  tinder-box  which  we 
had  taken  the  precaution  to  put  into  the  boat,  had  got 
wet  by  the  last  wave  that  drove  us  ashore.  Exercise 
alone  could  prevent  our  being  frozen,  in  keeping  our 
blood  in  circulation. 

Being  better  acquainted  than  my  companions  with  the 
nature  of  these  severe  climates,  I  recommended  to  them 
to  keep  themselves  in  motion,  in  order  to  prevent  being 
overpowered  by  sleep.  But  the  young  passenger,  whose 
clothes  were  soaked  in  the  sea  water,  and  were  frozen 
stiff  upon  his  body,  was  unable  to  resist  the  drowsy  sen- 
sation always  produced  by  the  excessive  cold  which  he 
experienced.  In  vain  I  employed,  by  turns,  persuasion 
and  force  to  make  him  keep  upon  his  legs.  I  was  oblig- 
ed to  leave  him  to  his  supineness.  After  walking  about 
half  an  hour,  I  was  myself  seized  with  such  a  powerful 
inclination  to  sleep,  that  I  felt  myself  ready  every  mo 


LOSS  OF  AN  ENGLISH  SLOOP.          131 

ment  to  sink  to  the  ground  in  order  to  gratify  it,  till  I  re- 
turned to  the  place  where  the  young  man  lay.  I 
put  my  hand  to  his  lace  and  found  it  quite  cold,  when  I 
desired  the  mate  to  feel  it.  We  both  conceived  him  to 
be  dead.  He  replied,  with  a  feeble  voice,  that  he  was 
not,  but  that  he  felt  his  end  approaching,  and  intreated 
me,  if  I  survived,  to  write  to  his  father  at  New- York, 
and  inform  him  of  his  fate.  In  ten  minutes  we  saw  him 
expire,  without  any  pain,  or  at  least  without  strong  con- 
vulsions. I  relate  this  incident  to  shew  the  effect  of  vio- 
lent cold  on  the  human  body  during  sleep,  and  to  shew 
that  this  kind  of  death  is  not  always  accompanied  with  a 
sensation  of  such  excessive  pain  as  is  generally  sup- 
posed. 

This  dreadful  lesson  was  incapable  of  inducing  the 
others  to  resist  the  inclination  to  sleep  by  wliich  they 
were  attacked.  Three  of  them  lay  down  in  spite  of 
my  exhortations.  Seeing  that  it  was  impossible  to  keep 
(hem  on  their  legs,  I  went  and  cut  two  branches  of  trees, 
one  of  which  1  gave  to  the  mate,  and  my  whole  em- 
ployment, during  the  remainder  of  the  night,  was  to 
prevent  my  companions  from  sleeping,  by  striking  them 
as  soon  as  they  closed  their  eyes.  This  exercise  was 
of  benefit  to  ourselves,  at  the  same  time  that  it  preserv- 
ed the  others  froiji  danger  of  almost  certain  death. 

Bay-light,  which  we  awaited  with  such  impatience, 
at  length  appeared.  I  ran  to  the  shore  with  the  mate  to 
endeavor  to  discover  &o*ne  vestige  of  the  ship,  though 
we  had  very  little  hope  of  finding  any.  What  was  our 
surprize  and  our  satisfaction  to  see,  that  she  had  held 
together,  notwithstanding  the  violence  of  the  wind,  which 
seemetl  strong  enough  to  dash  her  into  a  thousand  pieces 
during  the  night !  The  first  thing  I  did  was  to  contrive 
how  to  get  the  remainder  of  the  crew  on  shore.  The 
vessel  since  we  quitted  her  had  been  driven  by  the  waves 
much  nearer  the  shore,  and  the  distance  which  she  was 
separated  from  it,  I  knew  must  be  much  less  at  low  water. 
When  it  was  come,  I  called  out  to  the  people  in  the  ship 
to  tie  a  rope  to  her  side  and  let  themselves  down  czie  of- 
ter  another.  They  adopted  this  expedient.  Watching 
attentively  the  motion  of  the  sea,  and  seizing  the  oppor- 
tunity of  dropping  at  the  moment  when  the  waves  retired. 


132          LOSS  OP  AN  ENGLISH  SLOOP. 

they  all  got  on  shore  without  danger,  excepting  the  car 
penter.  He  did  not  think  proper  to  trust  himself  in  that 
manner,  or  probably  was  unable  to  stir,  having  used  his 
bottle  rather  too  freely  during  the  night.  The  general 
safety  was  attached  to  that  of  each  individual,  and  1 
doubly  rejoiced  to  see  around  me  such  a  number  of 
iny  companions  in  misfortune,  whom  I  imagined  to  be 
swallowed  up  by  the  waves  but  a  few  hours  before. 

The  captain  .before  he  left  the  ship,  fortunately  pro- 
vided himself  with  all  the  materials  for  lighting  a  fire. 
The  company  then  proceeded  towards  the  forest :  some 
fell  to  work  to  cut  wood,  others  to  collect  the  dry 
branches  scattered  on  the  ground,  and  soon  a  bright  flame, 
rising  from  a  large  pile,  produced  a  thousand  acclama- 
tions of  joy.  Considering  the  extreme  cold  which  we 
bad  so  long  endured,  no  enjoyment  could  equal  that  of 
a  good  fire.  We  crowded  round  it  as  closely  as  possible 
to  revive  our  benumed  limbs.  But  this  enjoyment  was 
succeeded,  in  general  by  excrutiating  pain,  as  soon  as 
the  heat  of  the  fire  penetrated  into  tho&e  parts  of  the 
body  which  had  been  bitten  by  the  frost.  The  mate  and 
myself  were  the  only  exceptions,  on  account  of  the  ex- 
ercise we  had  taken  during  the  night.  All  the  others  had 
been  more  er  less  attacked,  both  in  the  .ship  and  on 
shore.  The  convulsive  movements  produced  in  our 
unfortunate  companions,  by  the  violence  of  the  torments 
they  endured,  would  be  too  horrible  for  description. 

When  we  came  to  make  a  review  of  our  company  I 
observed  that  Captain  Green,  a  passenger,  was  missing. 
I  was  informed  that  he  had  fallen  asleep  in  the  ship,  and 
had  frozen  to  death.  Our  anxiety  was  renewed  on 
account  of  the  carpenter,  who  was  left  behind.  The 
sea  continuing  to  roll  with  unabated  fury,  so  that  it  was 
impossible  to  send  the  boat  to  his  relief,  we  were  oblig- 
ed to  wait  the  return  of  low  water  ;  when  we,  at  length 
persuaded  him  to  come  on  shore  in  the  same  manner  as 
Ihe  others  ;  which  he  did  with  extreme  difficulty,  being 
reduced  to  a  state  of  the  utmost  weakness,  and  frozen 
in  almost  every  part  of  his  body. 

Night  arrived,  and  we  spent  it  rather  more  comforta- 
ble than  the  pveceedhi<r.     Yet,  notwithstanding  we  were 
keep  up  a  large  fire,  we  suffered  considerably 


LOSS  OF  AN  ENGLISH  SLOOP.          U3 

from  the  sharpness  of  the  wind,  against  which  we  had 
no  shelter.  The  trees  were  scarcely  sufficient  to  pro- 
tect us  from  the  snow,  which  fell  in  immense  flakes,  as 
if  to  extinguish  our  tire.  While  it  soaked  through  cur 
clothes  on  the  side  exposed  to  the  fire,  on  our  backs  it 
formed  a  heap  which  we  were  obliged  to  shake  oft'  be- 
fore it  froze  into  ice.  The  craving  sensation  of  hunger, 
a  new  hardship,  that  we  had  hitherto  been  unacquainted 
with,  was  now  added  to  that  of  cold,  which  we  had  so 
much  difficulty  to  endure. 

Two  days  elapsed,  every  moment  of  which  added  to 
the  painful  recollection  of  our  past  misfortunes,  the 
terror  of  a  still  more  distressing  futurity.  At  length  the 
wind  and  the  sea,  which  had  combined  to  prevent  us 
from  approaching  the  vessel,  redoubled  their  united 
efforts  to  destroy  her.  We  were  apprised  of  her  fate  by 
the  noise  of  her  breaking  up.  We  ran  towards  the 
shore,  and  saw  part  of  the  cargo  already  floating,  which 
the  impetuosity  of  the  waves  washed  through  the  opens 
of  her  sides.  Fortunately  the  tide  carried  part  of  the 
wreck  upon  the  beach.  Providing  ourselves  with  long 
poles,  and  the  oars  of  our  boat,  we  proceeded  along  the 
sand,  drawing  on  shore  whatever  was  most  useful  within 
our  reach  It  was  thus  v.'e  saved  a  few  casks  of  sr.If 
beef,  and  a  considerable  quantity  of  onions,  which  the 
rnpiam  had  taken  on  board  to  sell.  Our  attention, was 
likewise  directed  to  the  planks  that  wr;<'  detached  from 
the  vessel,  and  which  might  prove  serviceable  to  us  in 
constructing  a  hut.  We  collected  a  great  number, 
which  we  dragged  into  the  wood  to  be  immediately  em- 
ployed for  the  above  mentioned  purpose.  This  was  no 
easy  undertaking,  as  few  of  us  were  able  to  go  to  work 
upon  it.  Our  success,  this  day,  however,  inspired  us 
with  courage,  and  the  food  we  had  procured  supporting 
our  strength,  the  work  had  advanced  considerably  by 
the  close  of  day.  The  light  of  our  fire  enabled  us  to 
continue  it  after  dark,  arid  by  ten  o'clock  at.  nictfit  we 
1  had  a  hut  twenty  feet  long,  ten  broad,  and  sufficiently 
solid,  thanks  to  the  trees  which  supported  it  at  certain 
<ttstajicts,  to  withstand  the  force  of  the  wind,  but  not 
close  enough  to  shelter  us  entirely  from  the  cold. 
M 


234  LOSS    OF   AN    ENGLISH    SL001\ 

The  Two  succeeding  days  were  employed  either  in 
eompleating  our  edifice,  collecting  during  high  water 
what  the  tide  brought  from  the  ship,  or  in  taking  an 
account  of  our  provisions,  in  order  to  establish  the  pro- 
portion in  which  thej  ought  to  be  distributed.  We  had  not 
been  able  to  save  any  biscuit,  which  was  thoroughly  soak- 
ed with  sea  water.  It  was  agreed,  that  each  person,  well 
or  ill,  should  be  confined  to  a  quarter  of  a  pound  of  beef 
and  four  onions  a  day.  as  long  as  they  lasted.  This  scan- 
ty pittance,  scarcely  sufficient  to  keep  us  alive,  was  all  that 
He  could  allow  ourselves,  uncertain  what  time  we 
might  be  obliged  to  spend  on  this  desart  coast. 

The  1 1  th  of  December,  the  sixth  day  after  our  ship- 
wreck, the  wind  abated,  so  as  to  allow  us  to  get  the  boat 
afloat  to  go  and  seek  what  was  leit  in  the  wreck.  Great 
•part  of  the  day  was  lost  in  cutting  away,  with  the  hatch- 
et, the  thick  ice  which  covered  the  deck  and  stopped  up 
the  hatchways.  The  next  day  we  succeeded  in  getting 
out  a  small  barrel,  containing  one  hundred  and  twenty 
pounds  of  Salt  beef,  two  chests  of  onions,  one  of  pota- 
toes, three  bottles  of  balsam  of  Canada,  one  of  oil, 
which  became  exceedingly  serviceable  for  the  wounds 
of  the  seamen  ;  another  hatchet,  a  large  iron  pot,  two 
stew-pans,  and  about  a  dozen  pounds  of  candles.  This 
precious  cargo  enable  us  the  following  day  to  add  four 
onions  to  our  daily  allowance. 

We  returned  agtfn  on  board  on  the  14th,  to  look  for 
the  sails,  part  of  which  served  to  cover  our  hut,  and  to 
keep  out  the  snow.  The  same  day,  the  wounds  of 
those  who  had  suffered  most  from  the  frost,  and  had 
neglected  to  rub  them  with  snow,  began  to  mortify. 
The  skin  came  off  their  legs,  their  hands,  and  the  parts 
of  their  limbs  affected  by  the  frost,  with  excessive  pain. 
The  carpenter,  who  was  the  last  that  came  on  shore, 
lost  tli€  greatest  part  of  his  feet,  and  in  the  night  of  the  1 4th 
became  delirious,  in  which  state  he  continued  till  the 
next  day,  when  death  relieved  him  from  his  miserable 
existence.  Three  days  afterwards  our  second  mate  die$ 
in  the  same  mariner,  having  been  delirious  several  hours 
foeibre  he  expired;  and  a  seaman  experienced  the 

'lie  following   day.     We  covered  their  bodies    with 


LOSS  OF  AN  ENGLISH  SLOOP. 

snow  and  the  branches  of  trees,  having  neither  pickaxe 
nor  spade  to  dig  them  a  grave  ;  and  if  we  had  even 
been  provided  with  them,  the  earth  was  frozen  too  hard, 
and  too  deep,  to  yield  to  those  instruments. 

All  these  losses,  which  reduced  our  company  to  four- 
teen persons,  gave  us  but  little  concern,  either  on  the»-:v 
account  or  on  our  own.  Upon  considering  our  drcauftrl 
situation,  death  appeared  rather  a  blessing  than  a  misfor- 
tune ;  and  when  a  sentiment  of  nature  revived  within  us 

love  of  life,  each  individual  regarded liis  companions 
a 3  so  many  enemies  armed  by  hunger  to  deprive  him  of 
his  subsistence.     In  fact,  if  some  had  not  paid  tho  debt  c: 
nature,  we  should  soon  have  been  reduced  to  the  horrible 
necessity  of  perishing  of  hunger,  or  of  murdering  ari'3 
devouring  each  other.     Without   being  brought  to 
dreadful  alternative,  our  situation  was  so  miser...- 
it  seemed  impossible  for  any  new  calamity  to  be  a 
bio  of  augmenting  its  horrors.     The  continual  sensation 
of  excessive  cold  and  pressing  hunger,  the  pain  of  the 
frost  wounds,    irritated    by   the   fire,    the  complaints    of 
the  sufferers,  the   neglect  and  filth  which    render*- 
objects  of  disgust,  both  to  ourselves  and  others,  all  tho 
images  of  despair  collected  around  us,  and  the  ore 
of  a  slow  and  painful  death,  in  the  rnidst  of  a  desolate 
region,  far  from  the  consolations  of  relative  :-:ids; 

such  is  an  imperfect  representation  of  the  pangs  our 

ids  endured  every  moment  of  the  tedious   days  and 

:,;d  nights. 

The  mate  and  I  often  went  abroad  to  see  if  we  could 
discover  any  vestiges  of  habitations,  in  the  country. 
Our  excursions  were  not  long,  nor  attended  with  auy 
success.  We  resolved,  one  day,  to  penetrate  farther 
into  the  country,  keeping  along  the  banks  of  a  frozen 
river.  We  observed,  from  time  to  time,  traces  of  elks 
and  other  animals,  which  caused  us  sincerely  to  regret 
being  unprovided  with  arms  and  powder  to  shoot 
them.  A  ray  of  hope,  for  a  moment,  illumined  our 
minds.  Following  the  direction  of  some  trees,  cut  en 
the  sides  with  a  Jiatchet,  we  arrived  at  a  place  where 
r.)j'K«  Indians  must  shortly  before  have  resided,  .since 
their  wigwarm  was  still  standing,  and  the  bark  employed 
for  that  purpose  appeared  quite  IVosh ;  an  elk's  skin, 


136         LOSS  OF  AN  ENGLISH  SLOOP. 

which  we  found  very  near,  suspended  from  a  pole,  con- 
finned  our  conjectures.  We  anxiously  traversed  all  the 
adjacent  country,  but,  alas !  without  success.  We, 
however,  derived  some  satisfaction  from  reflecting  that 
this  place  had  had  inhabitants  or  visitors,  and  that  they 
might  soon  return.  Struck  with  this  idea,  I  cut  a  long 
pole,  which  I  stuck  upright  on  the  bank  of  the  river, 
fastening  to  it  a  piece  of  birch  bark,  after  cutting  it  into 
the  figure  of  a  hand,  with  the  fore-finger  extending  and 
turned  towards  our  hut,  I  likewise  took  away  the  elk's 
skin,  in  order  that  the  savages,  at  their  return  might 
perceive  that  somebody  had  passed  by  the  place  since 
they  left  it,  and  might  by  the  aid  of  the  sign,  discover 
the  route  they  had  taken.  The  approach  of  the  night 
obliged  us  to  return  to  our  habitation,  and  we  doubled 
our  pace  to  communicate  that  agreeable  news  to  our 
companions.  However  feeble  were  the  hopes  we  could 
reasonably  allow  ourselves  to  entertain  from  this  discov- 
ery, I  perceived  that  my  narrative  afforded  them  consid- 
erable consolation ;  so  strongly  does  the  kind  instinct  of 
nature  impel  the  unhappy  to  seize  upon  whatever  is 
•capable  of  alleviating  the  sensation  of  their  misery. 

Several  days  elapsed  ia  hope  of  seeing  the  Indians 
appear  every  moment  before  our  hut.  These  sweet 
ideas  gradually  lost  ground,  and  soon  vanished.  Some 
of  our  sick,  and  among  the  rest  the  captain,  had,  in  this 
interval,  began  to  recover  their  strength,  and  our  pro- 
visions were  fast  decreasing.  I  mentioned  the  design  I 
had  formed  of  quitting  the  habitation,  with  all  those  who 
were  capable  of  working  the  boat,  to  reconnoitre  the 
coast.  This  plan  received  universal  approbation  ;  'but 
when  we  came  to  think  of  the  means  of  executing  it,  a 
new  difficulty  presented  itself.  This  was,  how  to  repair 
the  boat,  which  had  been  dashed  by  the  sea  upon  the 
sand  with  such  fury  that  all  her  joints  had  opened.  We 
had  plenty  of  tow  for  stopping  the  apertures,  but  unfor- 
tunately were  in  want  ,of  pitch  to  cover  it.  And  how 
could  we  supply  this  deficiency  ?  We  could  not  think 
of  any  method,  when  it  struck  me,  all  at  once,  that  we 
might  employ  the  balsam  of  Canada  which  we  had 
saved.  It  was  easy  to  try ;  I  emptied  a  few  boftles  of 
it  into  our  iron  pot,  and  sot  it  on  a  large  fire ;  taking  it 


LOSS  OP  AN  ENGLISH  SLOOP.          137 

off  frequently  to  let  it  cool,  I  soon  reduced  the  liquor 
to  a  proper  consistence.  During  this  time  rny  compan- 
ions had  turned  the  boat  and  cleared  her  of  sand  and  ice. 
I  directed  the  crevices  to  be  stopped  with  tow,  caulked 
her  with  the  balsam,  and- 1  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing; 
that  it  produced  the  effect  to  admiration. 

This  first  success  inspired  us  with  a  new  ardour  to 
continue  aur  preparations.  A  piece  of  cloth,  fastened 
to  a  pole,  in  such  a  manner  as  to  be  raised  or  lowered 
at  pleasure,  promised  us  a  sail  strong  enough  to  velirvo, 
with  a  gentle  and  favorable  wind,  the  labor  of  the  row- 
ers. Among  the  crew  few  had  sufficiently  recovered 
to  support  the  fatigues  which  we  foresaw  would  attend 
this  expedition.  I  was  chosen  to  conduct  it,  together 
w!fh  the  captain,  the  mate,  two  seamen,  and  my  ser- 
vant. The  remainder  of  the  provisions  v/as  divided, 
according  to  the  number  of  persons,  into  fo.'irtern  equnl 
shares,  without  reserving,  on  account  of  the  exc<^ 
labor  we  were  about  to  undertake,  a  larger  proportion 
for  ourselves  than  was  allotted  to  those  who  were  to  re- 
main quietly  in  the  hut. 

With  this  wretched  allowance  of  a  quarter  of  a  po^r-iT 
of  beef  a  day,  for  six  weeks,  with  a  crazy  boat,  COV<T- 
ed  with  a  matter  on  which  we  couM  not  depend,  \vl.i >  !i 
the  least  breath  of  wind  might  upset,  and  the  smallest 
rock  dash  to  pieces,  it  was,  that  we  had  to  attempt  an 
enterprise,  the  plan  of  which  could  have  been  inspir- 
ed by  blind  despair  alone.  But  we  were  at  that  point, 
that  there  was  less  temerity  in  braving  every  possible 
danger  with  the  feeblest  ray  of  hope,  th?n  in  exposing 
ourselves,  by  cowardly  inactivity,  to  the  almost 
inevitable  danger  of  perishing,  abandoned  by  a!l 
nature. 

The  year  1781  had  just  commenced.  It  was  our  in- 
tention to  set  off  the  second  of  January,  but  a  furious  north- 
west wind  detained  us  till  the  afternoon  of  the  fourth: 
Its  violence  having  then  abated,  we  carried  on  board 
our  provisions,  together  with  a  few  pounds  of  candles, 
and  all  the  litile  articles  that  mi^ht  be  of  service  to  us, 
and  took  leave  of  our  companions,  in  the  cruel  uncer- 
tainty whether  this  might  not  be  our  last  farewel.  We 
bad  not  Tn-ccee.ded  above  eicht  mUes,  when  f*e  tvr./i 


i38          LOSS  OF  AN  ENGLISH  SLOOP: 

turning  to  the  southeast,  checked  our  progress,  and  ob- 
liged us  to  make,  with  our  oars,  towards  a  large  bay 
which  offered  as  a  favorable  asylum  for  the  night. 

Our  first  care  was  to  land  our  provisions,  and  to  remove 
the  boat  Tar  enough  upon  the  beach  to  prevent  her  being 
damaged  by  the  sea.  We  Wi3re  then  obliged  to  kindle  a 
fire,  and  to  cut  wood  to  keep  it  up  till  the  next  morning* 
The  smallest  pine  branches  were'  employed  in  forming 
cur  bed,  and  the  largest  in  hastily  erecting  a  kind  of 
wigwam,  to  secure  ourselves  as  well  as  possible  from 
the  seventy  of  the  weather. 

In  taking  our  scanty  repast  I  observed  on  the  shore 
several  pieces  of  wood  thrown  upon  it  by  the  tide,  and 
which  appeared  to  have  been  cut  with  a  hatchet.  I  like- 
wise saw  some  poles  formed  long  since  by  the  hand  of 
man,  but  we  could  not  discover  any  marks  of  inhabit- 
ants. At  the  distance  of  two  miles  was  a  hill  bare  of 
trees,  with  some  appearance  of  its  having  been  cleared. 
I  prevailed  on  two  of  my  companions  to  accompany  me 
thither  before  dark,  that,  from  its  summit,  we  might  em- 
brace a  more  extensive  horizon.  As  we  proceeded  along 
the  bay  we  saw  a  Newfundland  fishing  boat,  half  burned 
and  the  remaining  part  in  the  sand.  This  object  afford- 
ed us  fresh  .hopes,  and  we  doubled  our  efforts  to  climb 
the  hill.  Having  arrived  at  the  summit,  how  great  was 
our  satisfaction  to  perceive  some  buildings  on  the  other 
side  of  it,  at  the  distance  of  a  mile  at  farthest.  Not- 
withstanding our  fatigue,  the  interval  which  separated  us 
from  them  was  soon  gone  over.  We  arrived  palpitating 
with  hope  and  joy,  but  those  pleasing  emotions  were  in- 
stantly dissipated.  In  vain  we  traversed  all  the  build- 
ings;  they  were  deserted.  They  had  been  erected  for 
the  preparation  of  cod,  and,  according  to  all  appearance, 
had  been  abandoned  several  years  before.  The  sad  ter- 
mination of  this  excursion  tended,  however,  to  confirm 
us  in  the  idea  that  we  should  find  some  habitations  by 
continuing  our  course  round  the  island. 

The  wind,  which  had  again  shifted  to  the  northwest, 
detained  us  the  next  day,  fearing  to  encountre  the  ice, 
which  it  drifted  in  great  quantities.  For  three  days  it  con- 
tinued with  the  same  fury.  Having  awaked  in  the  night, 
I  was  astonished  to  hear  its  shrill  whistling,  not  accozapa- 


LOSS  OF  AN  ENGLISH  SLOOP.          1^30 

nied,  as  usual,  by  the  hoarse  noise  of  the  wa^cs.  I  call- 
ed the  mate,  and  informed  him  of  this  phenomenon. 
Being  curious  to  ascertain  the  cause  we  ran  towards  the 
shore,  the  moon's  rays  affording  us  light.  As  far  as  the 
eye  could  reach  their  fatal  lustre  enabled  us  to  perceive 
the  surface  of  the*  water  motionless  beneath  the  chains  of 
the  ice,  which  was  piled  up  in  different  places  in  heaps 
of  prodigious  height.  It  is  impossible  to  describe  the 
sensation  of  tiespondency  which  overwhelmed  our  minds 
at  this  sight.  Unable  to  proceed  farther  on  our  expedi- 
tion, or  to  return  to  our  former  cabin,  which  would  have 
defended  us  better  from  the  redoubled  severity  of  the 
cold !  How  lorg  were  we  to  continue  in  this  dreadful 
situation. 

Two  days  elapsed  amidst  these  gloomy  reflections. 
At  length,  on  the  9th,  the  wind  abated.  It  shifted  the 
following  day  to  the  southeast,  and  blew  with  such  vio- 
lence, that  all  the  ice  by  which  we  were  blocked  up  in 
the  bay,  was  broken  to  pieces  with  a  great  noise,  and 
driven  out  into  the  open  sea,  so  that  by  four  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon  there  was  none  left,  excepting  along  the 
shore. 

In  breaking  the  chains  which  detained  us,  the  tyrant 
of  the  air  forged  others  for  us  by  his  violence.  It  was 
not  till  after  two  days  that  the  wind  abated.  A  light 
breeze  blowing  along  the  shore,  our  boat  was  launched 
.and  the  sail  hoisted.  We  were  already  proceeding  with 
a  favorable  course,  when  at  several  leagues  distance  we 
perceived  an  extremely  elevated  point  of  land.  The 
coast  to  that  place  appeared  to  form  such  a  continued 
chain  of  steep  rocks,  that  it  was  impossible  to  attempt 
a  landing  before  we  had  doubled  the  distant  cape.  It 
would,  however,  have  been  dangerous  to  risk  so  long  a 
course.  The  boat  had  sprung  a  leak,  and  two  men  were 
constantly  employed  in  bailing  out  the  water,  so  that  we 
could  use  but  two  oars  ;  and  the  enfeebled  state  to  which 
we  were  reduced,  by  disappointment  and  the  want  of 
food,  scarcely  allowed  us  to  support  that  slight  exertion. 
What  was  to  become  of  us  if  the  wind  should  turn  to  the 
northwest  ?  We  m::?i  infhlJlhly  be  dashed  to 
9 gainst  the  ro-' 


140         LOSS  OF  AN  ENGLISH  SLOOP. 

Fortunately  the  danger  was  no  longer  an  object  wor- 
thy of  our  consideration,  and  the  wind  seconded  our 
perseverance  so  well,  that  we  arrived  at  the  cape  abouk 
eleven  o'clock  at  night.  The  place  not  being- convenient 
for  a  landing,  we  were  obliged  to  coast  along  till  two  in 
the  morning,  when  the  wind  becoming  more  violent  de- 
prived us  of  the  liberty  of  choosing  a  favorable  spot ;  we 
were  obliged  to  descend  upon,  or  rather  to  cliihb,  with 
the  utmost  difficulty,  up  a  rocky  shore,  without  its  being 
possible  for  us  to  secure  our  boat  from  the  waves,  which 
threatened  her  with  destruction. 

The  place  where  we  had  landed  was  a  bay  of  no  great 
depth,  surrounded  on  the  land  side  by  inaccessible 
heights,  but  exposed  towards  the  sea  to  the  northwest 
wind,  from  which  nothing  could  protect  us.  The  wind 
which  rose  on  the  13th  threw  our  boat  upon  a  ledge  of 
the  rocks  and  damaged  her  in  several  places.  This  e Oc- 
cident was  but  a  trifling  prelude  to  new  sufferings.  Sur- 
rounded by  insurmountable  rocks,  which  prevented  us 
from  seeking  shelter  in  the  woods ;  without  any  other 
covering  than  our  sail,  stiff  with  ice ;  buried  for  several 
days  beneath  a  deluge  of  snow,  which  was  heaped 
around  us  to  the  height  of  three  feot ;  we  had  nothing  to 
keep  up  our  fire  but  the  branches  and  fragments  of  trunks 
of  trees,  thrown  by  accident  upon  the  shore.  This  de- 
plorable situation  lasted  till  the  21st,  when  the  weather 
grew  milder,  but  we  were  not  able  to  take  advantage  of^ 
it.  How  were  we  to  repair  our  boat  which  had  opened 
in  several  places  ?  After  reflecting  on  the  various  me- 
thods that  presented  themselves  to  our  minds,  and  r*v 
iectirig  them  as  impracticable,  all  our  thoughts  were  di- 
rected to  seek  our  preservation  in  another  quarter. 

Though  it  was  impossible  to  scale  the  wall  of  rocks, 
which  surrounded  us  on  every  side,  and  we  were  under 
the  necessity  of  renouncing  the  use  of  our  boat,  it  came 
iuio  our  minds  that  we  might  proceed  along  the  shore, 
by  walking  upon  the  ice,  which  had  acquired  sufficient 
strength  to  bear  our  weight.  The  mate  and  I  resolved 
to  make  the  experiment.  We  set  off  immediately,  and 
proceeding  a  few  miles  arrived  at  the  mouth  of  a  river, 
bordered  by  a  sandy  beach,  where  we  might  have  pre- 
served cur  boat  and  lived  in  neb  less  uncomfortably,  had 


LOSS  OP  AN  ENGLISH  8LCCP.         141 

our  good  fortune  at  first  conducted  us  thither.  This  dis- 
covery, while  it  occasioned  regret  did  not  tend  to  in- 
crease our  hopes.  It  was,  indeed,  easy  to  penetrate  in- 
to the  woods,  but  could  we  wander  at  random  in  a  sav- 
age country,  in  quest  of  an  inhabited  district  ?  How 
were  we  to  direct  our  course  through  the  black  gloom  of 
the  forest  ?  and  above  all,  how  were  we  to  get  along 
through  the  snow,  with  which  the  earth  was  covered  to 
the  height  of  six  feet,  and  which  might  be  melted  by  the 
first  thaw  ? 

After  consulting  together  on  the  subject  of  our  return, 
it  was  agreed  that  we  had  no  other  resource  than  to  carry 
on  our  backs  the  remainder  of  our  provisions  and  useful 
effects,  and  to  proceed  along  the  coast,  where  it  was 
most  natural  to  expect  to  find  any  families  of  fishermen 
or  savages.  The  weather  still  seemed  inclined  to  frost, 
and  the  wind  having  swept  into  the  sea  the  greatest  part 
of  the  sno\v  which  covered  the  ice  upon  the  coast,  we 
flattered  ourselves  that  we  should  walk  ten  miles  a  day 
even  in  the  state  of  languor  and  debility  into  which  we 
had  fallen. 

This  resolution  being  unanimously  adopted  we  had 
soon  completed  the  necessary  preparations.  We  intend- 
ed to  set  off  on  the  morning  of  the  24th,  but  iii  tfie 
night  which  preceded  it  the  wind  suddenly  shifted  to  the 
southeast,  accompanied  with  heavy  rain  ;  so  that  in  a 
few  hours,  this  crust  of  snow,  which  the  day  before  ap- 
peared so  solid,  was  entirely  dissolved,  and  the  ice  de- 
tached from  the  shore.  We  had  now  no  way  of  escap- 
ing from  this  disastrous  shore  an  which  we  were  confin- 
ed. During  these  painful  reflections  our  eyes  were 
directed  towards  the  boat,  which  we  had  frequently 
been  tempted  to  break  up,  in  order  to  supply  our  fire,  as 
we  could  not  expect  to  render  her  serviceable  again. 
We  still  had  tow  sufficient  to  stop  the  crevices,  but  the 
balsam  of  Canada  had  been  totally  exhausted  by  our 
daily  repairs,  and  we  were  unable  to  contrive  any  sub- 
stitute for  it. 

The  frost,  however,  returned  the  next  day.  Its  se- 
verity caused  mo,  during  the  night,  to  conceive  an  idea, 
which  I  hastened  to  put  in  execution  as  soon  as  daylight 
appeared.  This  was  to  pour  water  upon  the  tow  with 


14-2          LOSS  OF  AN  ENGLISH  SLOOP. 

•which  the  crevices  were  filled,  and  to  let  It  freeze  I& 
coating,  to  a  certain  thickness.     My  companions  laughed 
;it.  my  scheme,  and  could  not  without  reluctance,  be  pre- 
vailed upon  to  assist  me.     But  this  simple  method  suc- 
ceeded beyond  my  hopes  ;  all  the  apertures  were  so  well 
closed,  that  they  were  at  length  convinced  that  no  v 
could  penetrate  through  them,  as  long  as  the  frost  con- 
tinued  to  be  equally  severe. 

We  made  a  successful  trial  of  it  on  the  27th.  Though 
the  boat  had  become  heavy  and  difficult  to  be  managed, 
by  the  quantity  of  ice  with  which  it  was  covered,  yet,  in 
the  course  of  the  day  she  proceeded  twelve  miles  from 
the  place  of  our  departure.  This  new  service  rendered 
her  more  valuable  in  our  eyes,  and  we  took  care  to  re- 
move her  on  our  oars  to  a  place  more  favorable  to  her 
security.  A  thick  forest,  situated  near  the  spot,  afforded 
us  two  advantages,  of  which  we  had  been  deprived  for 
so  many  nights  ;  a  slight  shelter  against  the  piercing  wind, 
and  an  abundance  of  wood  to  keep  up  a  great  fire,  which 
warmed  us  while  we  slept.  This  twofold  enjoyment  was 
to  us  the  height  of  pleasure.  Our  stock  of  tinder  being 
almost  consumed,  I  was  obliged  to  renew  it  by  burning  a 
piece  of  my  shirt,  the  same  that  I  had  worn  ever  since 
the  loss  of  my  effects. 

The  following  day  a  deluge  of  rain  unfortunately  melt- 
ed all  the  ice  from  our  boat,  and  we  had  the  mortifica- 
tion to  lose  the  advantage  of  a  fine  day,  which  might 
probably  have  forwarded  us  several  miles  on  our  waj\ 
We  resolved  to  wait  the  return  of  the  frost,  and  what 
augmented  our  impatience  and  regret,  was,  that  our 
provisions  were  now  reduced  to  two  pounds  and  an  half 
of  beef  to  each  man. 

The  frost  not  returning  till  the  afternoon  of  the  29(h, 
the  delay  unavoidably  occasioned  by  our  preparations 
prevented  us  from  proceeding  above  seven  miles  before 
night.  The  succeeding  day  a  very  heavy  gale,  which 
surprized  us  at  the  beginning  of  our  route,  obliged  us  to 
land  before  we  had  gone  more  than  two  leagues.  The 
thaw  kept  us  onshore  tHl  the  day  after  the  next,  the  1st 
of  February,  when  an  intense  frost  afforded  us  an  oppor- 
tunity of  repairing  our  boat.  But  the  pieces  of  floating 
ice  tt  ere  so  large,  that  they  constantly  employed  one  o£ 


LOSS  OF  AN  ENGLISH  SLOOP.          143 

us  to  break  them  with  a  pole  ;  and  it  was  not  without  the 
most  fatiguing  exertions  that  we  proceeded  five  miles 
before  the  close  of  day. 

Our  navigation  was  more  fortunate  on  the  3d.  The 
wind  blew  in  a  direction  as  favorable  as  we  could  wish 
Though  the  boat  made  some  water,  which  employed 
part  of  our  hands  in  bailing  out,  we,  at  first,  ran  four 
miles  an  hour  with  the  assistance  of  our  oars,  and  soon 
afterwards  five  with  our  only  sail.  About  two  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon,  we  were  full  in  view  of  an  elevated 
cape,  which  we  calculated  to  be  only  three  leagues  off, 
But  its  prodigious  height  deceived  us  with  regard  to  its 
distance  ;  for  it  was  almost  dark  before  we  reached  it. 
After  doubling  it.  our  course  took  a  different  direction 
from  what  it  had  done,  so  that  we  were  obliged  to  low- 
er our  sail  and  to  take  to  our  oars.  The  wind  then  be- 
gan to  blow  from  the  shore.  Our  efforts  to  make  head 
against  it  were  very  feebte,  and  had  it  not  been  for  a  cur- 
rent from  the  northeast,  which  assisted  us  to  make  some 
opposition,  we  should  have  run  the  risk  of  being  carried 
irrecoverably  into  the  open  sea. 

The  coast  being  lined  with  rocks,  was  here  too  dan- 
gerous to  attempt  to  land  ;  we  were  obliged  to  row  ajong 
the  rocks,  amidst  a  thousand  dangers,  in  the  dark,  till 
live  o'clock  in  the  morning.  Being  then  incapable, 
from  our  exhausted  state,  of  any  I-'-r.  rvr  exertion,  our 
eyes  were  shut  to  the  dangers  of  landing,  and  heaven 
crowned  our  attempt  v.ith  success,  without  any  oihrr 
accident  than  having  our  boat  thrown,  half  full  of  water, 
upon  the  shore.  The  beginning  of  the  wood  was  at  no 
great  distance,  yet  we  had  great  difficulty  to  crawl 
to  it,  and  make  a  fire  to  thaw  our  limbs  and  dry  our 
clothes. 

Such  was  the  drowsiness  into  which  fatigue  and  \vafclr-~ 
sng  had  plunged  us,  that  it  was  impossible  to  refrain 
from  sleep  when  our  fire  began  to  light.  We  were  ob- 
liged to  roiise  each  other  alternately,  in  order  to  keep  it 
up,  fearing  lest  it  should  go  out  while  we  were  all  to- 
gether asleep,  and  we  should  be  frozen  to  death  in  this 
|  lethargic  state. 

When  I  awoke  I  had  occasion  to  convince  myself,  by 
rvation  which  !  made  on   the   shore,  of    the 


144         LOSS  OF  AN  ENGLISH  SLOOP. 

truth  of  what  I  had  suspected  by  the  way,  namely,  that 
the  elevated  point  of  land  which  we  had  just  doub- 
led, was  Cape  North,  in  the  island  of  Cape  Breton, 
which,  Cape  Roi,  on  the  island  of  Newfoundland,  marks 
the  entrance  of  the  gulf  of  St.  Laurence. 

The  pleasing  certainty  that  we  were  on  an  inhabited 
island  would  have  flattered  us  with  the  hope  of  at  last 
meeting  with  assistance,  by  continuing  our  voyage,  if 
we  had  had  any  thing  to  subsist  upon  during  the 
time  that  it  might  last.  Our  provisions  were  nearly  ex- 
hausted, and  this  prospect  filled  us  with  despair.  Noth- 
ing but  ideas  of  a  speedy  death,  or  the  most  horrible 
means  of  defering  it,  presented  themselves  to  our  minds.. 
When  we  cast  our  eyes  upon  one  another,  each  seemed 
ready  to  point  out  the  victim  whom  it  was  necessary  to 
sacrifice  to  the  hunger  of  his  executioners.  Some  of 
us  had  already  agreed  to  commit  the  selection  of  the 
object  to  the  blind  decision  of  the  lot.  Fortunately  the 
execution  of  this  ..dreadful  design  was  deferred  till  ih«" 
last  extremity. 

While  my  companions  were  employed  in  clearing  the 
boat  of  the  sand  with  which  the  tide  had  filled  her,  and 
in  stopping  the  crevices,  by  pouring  water  upon  the  tow, 
and  leaving  it  to  freeze,  I  walked  along  the  shore  with 
the  mate,  in  quest  of  oysters,  of  which  we  perceived  a 
great  quantity  of  shells  scattered  up  and  down.  Unfor- 
tunately none  of  them  were  full.  We  should  have  con- 
sidered it  the  height  of  good  fortune  to  have  met  with 
some  carcases  of  wild  beasts  half  devoured  by  birds  of 
prey  ;  but  all  these  were  now  buried  under  the  snow  ; 
there  was  nothing  that  could  afford  us  even  the  vilest 
food.  It  was  not  suiBcient  that  fate  should  have  thrown 
us  upon  a  desert  coast,  but,  to  crown  our  miery,  it  had 
chosen  the  most  dreadful  seaaon,  when  not  only  the 
earth  refused  its  productions  for  our  subsistence,  but 
likewise  when  the  animals  inhabiting  the  t\vo  elements 
which  nourish  mankind  had  fied  to  their  retreats,  to  pre- 
serve themselves  from  the  intense  cold,  which  desolates 
these  inhospitable  climates. 

f  should  be  afraid  to  excite  too  painful  sensations  in 
those  minds  which  our  situation,  till  th'e  present  moment, 
fias  inspired  >u-.h  tender  coaipasnon,  if  I  were  to  paint 


LOSS  OF  AN  ENGLISH  SLOOf.         145 

in  all  their  horror,  the  miseries  we  had  to  suffer  during 
(he  following  days.  Reduced  for  our  only  nourishment 
to  dry  fruits  of  sweet-brier,  dug  up  from  beneath  the 
snow,  and  a  few  tallow  candles,  which  we  had  reserv- 
ed for  a  last  resource  ;  oppressed  with  fatigue  at  the  least 
exertion  ;  checked  in  our  navigation  by  the  ice,  the  rain, 
or  the  winds  ;  sometimes  animated  with  a  faint  hope  to 
be  plunged  soon  afterwards  in  the  abyss  of  despair  ; 
overwhelmed  with  the  painful  sensations  of  all  these  dis- 
tresses, combined  to  crush  us  with  their  insupportable 
weight  every  moment,  both  of  the  day  and  of  the  night ; 
such  was  our  state  till  the  17th,  when  completely  ex- 
hausted, we  landed  for  the  last  time,  resolved  to  perish 
on  the  spot,  if  heaven  should  riot  send  us  some  unex- 
pected relief.  To  place  our  boat  in  safety  on  the  beach 
would  have  been  an  undertaking  too  far  beyond  our 
power.  She  was  abandoned  to  the  fury  of  the  waves, 
after  we  had  sorrowfully  taken  out  our  implements  and 
sail,  which  served  to  cover  us.  Our  first  efforts  were 
employed  in  clearing  the  snow  from  the  spot  we  had 
fixed  upon,  to  raise  it  all  round  in  a  sloping  direction, 
for  the  purpose  of  fixing  in  it  branches  of  trees,  intend- 
ed to  form  a  shelter  ;  lastly,  in  cutting  and  piling  as 
much  wood  as  possible  to  keep  up  our  fire,  fearing  lest 
we  should  soon  be  unable  to  use  our  instruments. 

A  few  handfuls  of  hips,  boiled  in  snow  water,  were, 
during  the  first  days,  the  sole  support  of  our  miserable 
lives.  These  began  to  fail  us,  and  we  thought  ourselves 
fortunate  in  being  able  to  supply  their  place  with  the 
marine  plants  which  grew  along  the  shore.  After  boil- 
ing them  several  hours,  during  which  they  lost  little  of 
their  hardness,  I  put  into  the  liquor  one  of  the  only  two 
candles  we  had  left.  This  disgusting  broth,  and  the 
tough  plants,  at  first  appeased  our  hunger,  but  in  a  few 
moments  we  were  seized  with  a  terrible  reaching,  with- 
out having  sufficient  force  to  be  able  to  clear  our  stom- 
achs. This  crisis  lasted  about  four  hours,  after  which  we 
were  somewhat  relieved,  but  fell  into  a  state  of  absolute 
debility. 

We  were,  however,  obliged  the  next  day  to  have 
reco'ir.se  to  the  same  nourishment,  which  operated  as 
before,  only  with  rather  Jess  violence ;  for  this  purpose 


1*6         &OS3  OP  AN  ENGLISH  SLOOP. 

we  had  used  our  last  candle.  We  were  compelled,  for 
three  days,  to  be  contented  with  the  hard  tough  plants, 
•which  made  us  reach  every  mouthful  we  took.  At  the 
.same  time  our  legs  began  to  swell,  and  our  whole  bod- 
ies became  so  bloated,  that  notwithstanding  the  little 
•flesh  we  had  left,  our  fingers,  with  the  smallest  pressure 
upon  our  skin,  sunk  to  the  depth  of  an  inch,  and  the 
impression  remained  an  hour  afterwards.  Our  eyes  ap- 
peared as  if  buried  in  deep  cavities.  Benumbed  by  the 
internal  dissolution  of  our  blood,  and  by  the  intense 
cold  we  endured,  we  had  scarcely  strength  to  crawl,  by 
turns,  and  revive  our  almost  extinguished  lire,  or  to 
collect  a  few  branches  scattered  upon  the  snow. 

It  was  then  that  the  remembrance  of  my  father, 
which  had  attended  me  amidst  the  greatest  dangers, 
combined  with  the  idea  of  my  death  to  fill  my  heart 
\vith  unusual  emotion.  I  represented  to  myself  that  ten- 
der parent,  at  first  uneasy  on  my  account,  anxiously  ex- 
pecting to  hear  from  me  ;  afterwards  overwhelmed  with 
grief  at  seeing  the  time  elapse  without  receiving  any  in- 
telligence ;  and  at  last  condemned  to  bewail  the  loss  of 
Ins  son,  during  all  the  days  of  his  old  age.  I  wept  my- 
jse'f  at  the  thought  of  dying  so  far  from  his  embrace, 
without  receiving  his  last  benediction.  These  affecting 
ideas,  interrupted  by  the  groans  uttered  around  me, 
v/cre  succeeded  by  barbarous  projects,  with  which  the 
natural  instinct  of  life  inspired  me  to  support.  The 
wretched  companions  of  my  misfortune,  whose  exer- 
tions had  hitherto  assisted  me,  now  appeared  only  to  be 
a  prey  to  satisfy  my  hunger  ;  and  I  read  the  same  senti- 
ments in  their  greedy  looks. 

I  know  not  whither  these  ferocious  dispositions  wrould 
have  led  us,  when  suddenly  the  accents  of  a  human 
voice  were  heard  in  the  forest.  At  the  same  instant  we 
discovered  two  Indians,  armed  with  muskets,  who 
did  not  appear  to  have  yet  perceived  us.  This  sudden 
appearance  reviving  our  courage,  gave  us  strength  to 
rise  and  advance  towards  them  with  all  the  despatch  we 
were  able. 

As  soon  as  they  saw  us  they  stopped,  as  if  their  feet 
had  been  nailed  to  the  ground.  They  looked  steadfastly 
at  us,  motionless  with  surprize  and  horror.  Besides 


LOSS  OF  AN  ENGLISH  SLOOP.          l4V 

the  astonishment  that  must  naturally  have  been  excited 
in  them  at  the  unexpected  meeting  with  six  strangers  in 
a  desert  corner  of  the  island,  our  appearance  alone  was 
sufficient  to  shock  the  most  intrepid.  Our  clothes 
hanging  in  rags,  our  ejres  concealed  by  the  bloated  prom- 
inence of  our  livid  cheeks,  the  monstrous  bulk  to  which 
all  our  limbs  were  swelled,  our  long  and  sha^sy  beards, 
our  hair  flowing  in  disorder  down  our  shoulders,  must, 
altogether,  have  siven  us  a  frightful  appearance.  How- 
ever, as  we  advanced,  a  thousand  agreeable  sensations 
were  displayed  in  our  countenances  :  some  shed  tear^, 
and  others  laughed-  for  joy.  Though  these  peaceable 
signs  were  calculated,  in  some  degree,  to  move  the 
fears  of  the  Indians,  •  the^^  did  not  yet  manifest  the 
least  inclination  to  approach  us,  and  certainly  the 
disgust  which  our  whole  figure  must  have  produced, 
sufficiently  justified  their  coldness.  1  therefore  resolv- 
ed to  advance  towards  him  who  was  nearest  to  me, 
holding  out  one  hand  to  him  in  a  supplicating  atti- 
tude. He  seized  it  and  gave  it  a  hearty  shake,  which  is 
the  mode  of  salutation  usual  among  these  savages. 

They  then  began  to  manifest  some  marks  of  com- 
passion. I  made  a  sign  to  them  to  come  towards  our 
fire  ;  they  accompanied  us  in  silence,  and  sat  down  near 
us.  One  of  them,  who  spoke  bad  French,  begged  us, 
in  that  language,  to  inform  them  whence  we  came,  and 
what  accident  had  conducted  us  to  that  spot.  1  hasten- 
ed to  give  him  as  brief  an  account  as  possible  of  the 
misfortunes  and  sufferings  we  had  experienced.  As  ho 
seemed  to  be  deeply  affected  by  my  narrative.  I  asked 
him  if  he  could  furnish  us  with  any  provisions.  He  re- 
plied in  the  affirmative ;  but  seeing  that  our  fire  was  al- 
most out,  he  rose  abruptly  and  seized  our  hatchet,  at 
which  he  looked  for  a  moment  smiling,  as  I  imagined, 
at  the  bad  condition  in  which  it  was.  He  threw  it  down 
with  a  look  of  disdain,  and  took  that  which  was  by  Lis 
side.  In  a  moment  he  had  cut  a  £reat  quantity  of 
branches,  which  he  threw  upon  our  fire  ;  he  then  took 
up  his  musket,  and  without  saying  a  word,  went  awuy 
with  his  companion. 

Such  a  sudden  retreat  might  have  given  uneasiness  to 
persons  unacquainted  with  the  humor  of  the  Indians  ; 


148        LOSS  OF  AN  ENGLISH  SLOOP. 

but  I  knew  that  these  people  seldom  speak  but  when- 
they  see  an  absolute  necessity  for  it.  I  did  not,  there- 
fore, doubt  but  that  they  were  gone  to  fetch  us  provis- 
ions, and  assured  my  alarmed  comrades  that  we  should 
not  be  long  before  we  saw  them  again.  Notwithstand- 
ing the  distress  in  which  we  were  for  food,  hunger  was 
not,  at  least  with  me,  the  most  pressing  want.  The 
good  fire  which  the  savages  had  made,  crowned,  at  that 
moment,  all  my  desires,  having  passed  so  many  days  of 
suffering,  from  intense  cold,  near  the  feeble  flame  of 
our  miserable  fire. 

Three  hours  had  elapsed  since  the  departure  of  the 
Indians,  and  my  afflicted  companions  began  to  lose  ail 
hope  of  seeing  them  again,  when  we  perceived  them 
turning  a  projecting  point  of  land,  and  rowing  towards 
us  in  a  canoe  of  bark.  They  soon  came  on 
shore,  bringing  a  large  piece  of  smoaked  venison,  and 
a  bladder  filled  with  fish  oil.  They  boiled  the  meat  in 
our  iron  pot  with  snow  water,  and  when  it  was  dressed 
they  took  care  to  distribute  it  amongst  us  in  very  small 
quantities,  with  a  little  oil,  to  prevent  (he  dangerous  con- 
sequences which  might  have  resulted  from  our  voracity 
in  the  debilitated  state  to  which  our  stomachs  were 
reduced. 

Tiiis  light  repast  being  over,  they  made  me  embark 
with  two  of  my  companions  in  their  canoe,  which  was 
too  small  to  take  us  all  at  once.  We  were  received 
upon  landing  by  three  Indians  and  a  dozen  women 
or  children,  who  were  waiting  for  us  on  the  shore. 
While  those  in  the  canoe  returned  to  fetch  the  rest  of 
our  company,  the  others  led  us  towards  their  huts  or 
wigwams,  three  in  number,  constructed  for  the  same 
number  of  families,  at  the  entrance  of  the  forest.  We 
were  treated  by  these  good  people  with  the  kindest  hos- 
pitality ;  they  made  us  swallow  a  kind  of  broth,  but 
would  no  permit  us,  notwithstanding  our  intreaties, 
to  eat  meat,  or  to  take  any  other  too  substantial  nour- 
ishment. 

I  felt  the  sincerest  joy  when  ihe  canoe  returned  with 
our  three  companions.  Upon  finding  ourselves  together, 
among  these  savages,  after  only  such  a  short  separation. 
>vc  felt  the  sensations  that  are  experienced  by  friends 


LOSS  OF  AN  ENGLISH  SLOOP.          149 

from  infancy,  who,  after  having  long  sighed  remote  from 
each  other,  at  length  find  one  another  again  in  the  bo- 
som of  their  native  land.  The  hut  appeared  to  us  the 
abode  of  bliss.  The  transports  to  which  we  gave  war, 
Interested  in  our  favor  a  very  old  woman,  who  testified 
great  curiosity  to  hear  our  adventures,  f  gave  a  more 
circumstantial  detail  than  before  to  the  Indian  who  un- 
derstood French,  and  he  rendered  it  into  his  language 
for  the  others.  In  the  course  of  my  narrative  I  had 
occasion  to  observe,  that  the  women  were  deeply  affect- 
ed by  it,  and  grounded  on  this  impression  the  hope  of 
favorable  treatment  during  our  stay. 

Afier  having  satisfied  the  most  pressing  wants,  our 
thoughts  were  turned  towards  the  unfortunate  com- 
rades, whom  \ve  had  left  behind  at  the  place  of  our 
shipwreck.  The  distress  to  which  we  had  been  so  near 
falling  victims  made  me  fear  that  their  fate  had  been^lill 
more  wretched.  However,  if  but  one  of  them  surviv- 
ed I  was  determined  to  omit  no  exertion  to  save  him. 
I  endeavored  to  describe  to  the  savages,  as  well  as  I 
was  able,  the  quarter  of  the  island,  on  which  we  had 
been  cast,  and  inquired  whether  it  was  not  possible  to 
send  thither  some  relief. 

To  the  description  I  gave  of  the  course  of  the  neigh- 
boring river,  and  of  a  small  island  to  be  seen  at  a  little 
distance  from  its  mouth,  they  replied  that  they  were 
perfectly  acquainted  with  the  spot,  that  it  was  about  one 
hundred  miles  to  it,  by  very  difficult  ways  through  the 
woods  ;  that  they  must  cross  rivers  and  mountains  to 
arrive  at  it,  and  if  they  undertook  the  journey  they 
must  expect  some  compensation  for  their  fatigues.  It 
would  have  been  unreasonable  to  require  them  to  sus- 
pend their  hunting,  their  only  means  of  supporting  their 
•wives  and  children,  to  undertake  the  toilsome  excursion 
purely  from  a  motive  of  benevolence  towards  stran- 
gers. As  to  their  account  of  the  distance  of  the  place 
where  we  were  wrecked,  it  did  not  appear  exaggerated, 
since  I  computed,  by  my  own  calculations,  that  our 
course  along  the  shore  could  not  have  been  less  than  one 
hundred  and  fifty  mites. 

I  then  told  them  what  it  had  not  before  come  into  my 
to  mention,  that  I  had  money,  and  that  if  it  was 
N2 


:  1 50         LOSS  OF  AN  ENGLISH  SLOOP 

of  any  value  in  their  eyes,  I  would  employ  part  to  pa;f 
them  for  their  trouble.  They  seemed  perfectly  satisfied 
with  the  proposal,  and  asked  to  see  my  purse ;  I  took  it 
from  my  servant  and  shewed  them  the  guineas  which  it 
contained.  At  the  sight  of  the  gold  I  observed  in  their 
countenances  sensations  which  I  should  never  have  ex- 
pected to  meet  with  among  a  savage  people ;  the  women 
in  particular  eyed  it  with  extreme  avidity  ;  and  when  I 
bad  presented  each  of  them  with  a  guinea,  they  set  up  a 
loud  laugh,  that  being  the  way  in  which  the  Indians  ex- 
press extraordinary  emotions  of  joy. 

However  exorbitant  their  pretentious  might  be,  I  de- 
termined to  spare  nothing  to  save  my  countrymen,  if 
any  of  them  were  still  alive.  We,  therefore,  concluded 
an  agreement,  by  which  they  engaged  to  depart  the  fol- 
lowing day,  and  I  was  to  give  them  twenty-five  guineas 
before  they  set  off,  and  the  same  sum  upon  their  return. 
They  immediately  fell  to  work  to  make  shoes  fit  for 
walking  upon  the  snow,  both  for  themselves  and  our 
seamen,  whom  they  were  to  bring  back.  Early  the 
next  morning  they  departed,  after  receiving  the  stipulat- 
ed sum. 

From  the  moment  the  savages  saw  gold  in  ray  pos- 
session, my  situation  lost  all  the  charms  which  it  owed 
to  their  hospitality.  They  became  as  rapacious  as  they 
bad  before  been  generous,  requiring  ten  times  the  value 
of  the  smallest  articles  with  which  they  furnished  my 
companions  and  me.  I  was  fearful  tco  lest  this  exces- 
sive passion  for  money,  which  they  had  contracted  from 
their  intercourse  with  the  Europeans,  should  impel  them 
to  rob  us,  and  leave  us  in  the  same  deplorable  situation 
from  which  we  had  been  rescued  by  their  assistance. 
The  only  motive  on  which  I  grounded  the  hope  of  more 
humane  treatment  was  the  religion  they  had  embraced, 
having  been  converted  to  Christianity  by  the  French 
Jesuits  before  this  island  was  ceded  to  us  together  with 
Canada.  They  shewed  the  strongest  attachment  to 
their  new  faith,  and  frequently  stunned  us  in  the  eve- 
Ding  by  their  doleful  psalmody.  My  servant  was  a  par- 
ticular favorite  with  them  all,  because,  being  a  Irish 
Catholic,  he  joined  their  prayers,  though  he  did  nci 
a  single  word  of  them.  J  much,  doubt 


LOSS   OF  AN    ENGLISH    SLOOfc;  151 

whether  they  themselves  could  understand  them,  for 
their  singing,  or  rather  shouting,  was  a  confused  jargon, 
composed  of  bad  French  and  their  savage  idiom,  with 
a  few  Latin  phrases  which  they  had  learned  from  their 
missionaries. 

We  were  many  days  before  we  recovered  our  strength, 
or  were  capable  of  digesting  any  substantial  food.  The 
only  nourishment  the  Indians  could  procure  us  was  elk's 
flesh  and  seal-oil,  upon  which  they  live  entirely  during  tfce 
hunting  season. 

Though  the  remembrance  of  so  many  past  miseries 
caused  us  to  bless  the  change  in  our  situation,  ami  re- 
r.onciled  us  to  our  residence  among  the  savages,  yet  I 
felt  very  anxious  to  leave  them,  on  account  of  the  des- 
patches with  which  I  had  been  intrusted,  and  which 
might  be  of  the  greatest  importance  to  the  public  ser- 
vice ;  and  the  more,  as  I  could  not  be  ignorant  that  the 
duplicate  was  lost  in  the  wreck  of  the  brig.  But  I  was 
still  so  weak,  that,  for  some  time,  I  found  it  impossible 
to  take  the  least  exercise,  and  experienced,  as  well  as 
the  companions  of  my  misfortunes,  how  difficult  it 
is  to  recover  from  such  a  rude  attack  upon  the  con- 
stitution. 

After  an  absence  of  about  a  fortnight,  the  Indians 
returned  with  three  of  our  people,  being  all  that  death 
had  spared  out  of  the  eight  persons  whom  I  had  left 
behind  at  the  hut.  They  informed  us,  that  after  con- 
suming all  their  provisions,  they  had  subsisted  several 
days  on  the  skin  of  the  elk  which  we  had  disdained  to 
share  with  them  ;  that  the  latter  resource  being  exhaust- 
ed, three  had  died  of  hunger,  and  that  the  others  had 
been  reduced  to  the  horrible  necessity  of  feeding  on  the 
dead  bodies  till  the  arrival  of  the  Indians  ;  that  one  of 
the  five  who  remained  had  given  way  with  so  much 
imprudence  to  his  voracity,  that  he  died  in  a  few  hours, 
amidst,  inexpressible  torments ;  and  that  another  had 
accidentally  killed  himself  in  handling  the  arms  of  one 
of  the  savages.  Thus  our  company,  consisting  at  first 
of  nineteen  persons,  was  reduced  to  nine  ;  and  I  won- 
der, whenever  I  think  of  it,  that  a  single  individual  es- 
caped; after  having  had  to  contend,  for  the  space  a? 


152          LOSS  OF  AN  ENGLISH  SLOOP. 

three  months,  with  all  the  complicated  hardships  of  cold, 
hunger,  and  fatigue. 

Our  impaired  strength  kept  us  in  the  dismal  place  a 
fortnight  longer,  during  which  1  was  obliged,  as  before, 
to  pay  the  most  exorbitant  price  for  our  food  and  our 
smallest  wants.  At  the  end  of  that  time,  rinding  my 
health  somewhat  re-established,  and  iny  purse  almost 
empty,  I  conceived  myseif  obliged  to  sacrifice  my  per- 
sonal comfort  to  iny  duty  to  the  service,  and  resolved 
to  proceed  with  my  depatclies  to  General  Clinton,  with 
all  possible  expedition,  though  this,  of  all  the  seasons  of 
the  year,  was  the  least  proper  for  travelling.  I  there- 
fore hired  two  Indians  to  take  me  to  Halifax  for  forte 
guineas,  which  I  engaged  to  pay  them  upon  my  arrival 
there.  I  farther  took  upon  myself  to  furnish  them  by 
the  way  with  every  kind  of  provisions,  and  suitable  re- 
freshments, in  the  inhabited  parts  through  which  we 
might  pass.  Some  of  the  other  Indians  were  to  conduct 
the  rest  of  our  comp?oiy  to  a  settlement  on  a  Spanish 
river,  where  they  were  to  remain  till  the  spring  to  wait 
for  an  opportunity  of  proceeding  to  Halifax  by  sea.  I  fur- 
nished the  captain  with  all  the  money  necessary  for  his 
subsistence,  and  that  of  his  men,  for  which  he  gave  me 
a  bill  on  his  owner  at  New-York.  The  latter  was  not 
ashamed  to  refuse  to  pay  it,  under  the  pretext,  thatas  the 
slup  was  lost,  neither  the  captain  nor  the  crew  could 
have  any  claim  upon  him. 

I  set  off  on  the  2d  of  April,  accompanied  by  two  In- 
dians, my  servant,  and  Mr.  Winslow,  a  young  passen- 
ger in  our  ship,  and  one  of  the  three  survivers  at  the 
hut.  We  each  carried  with  us  four  pair  of  Indian  shoes, 
a  pair  of  snow  shoes,  and  provisions  for  a  fortnight. 
We  arrived  that  evening  at  a  place,  called  by  the  Eng- 
lish Broad  Oar,  where  a  snow-storm  detained  us  the 
whole  of  the  following  day.  We  set  oif  again  on  the 
4th,  and  after  a  march  of  about  fifteen  miles  arrived  on 
the  banks  of  a  beautiful  salt-water  Jake,  called  the  lake 
of  St  Peter,  one  end  of  which  communicates  with  the 
sea.  Here  we  met  with  two  Indian  families  that  were 
going  a  hunting,  I  purchased  of  (hem,  for  four  guineas, 
a  bark  canoe,  which  my  guides  informed  me  would  very 
often  be  necessary  for  crossing  certain  parts  of  the  lake 


LOSS    OF   AN   ENGLISH   SLOOP.  15$ 

that  are  never  frozen.  As  in  other  parts  we  should 
have  to  travel  upon  the  ice,  I  was  likewise  obliged  to 
buy  two  sledges  to  place  the  boat  upon,  and  to  draw  it 
after  us. 

Having  enjoyed  two  days  repose,  and  procuring  a 
fresh  supply  of  provisions,  we  resumed  our  march  o» 
the  7th,  proceeding  several  miles  along  the  bank  of 
the  lake ;  but  the  ice  being  bad,  we  were  obliged  to  quit 
that  route  and  take  another  through  the  woods.  The 
snow  was  there  six  feet  deep  ;  a  thaw,  accompanied 
with  rain,  which  came  on  the  next  day,  rendered  it  so 
soft  that  it  was  no  longer  possible  to  walk  upon  its  sur- 
face. We  were,  therefore,  obliged  to  stop.  A  large 
£re,  a  commodious  wig\vam,  arid  abundance  of  provis- 
ions, assisted  us  to  endure  this  disagreeable  delay,  with- 
out entirely  dissipating  our  inquietudes.  The  winter 
was  too  far  advanced  for  us  to  hope  to  travel  much  long- 
er upon  the  snow,  without  the  accidental  return  of  the 
frost ;  and  should  it  not  return  again,  the  only  thing  we 
could  do,  was  to  wait  till  the  lake  should  be  entirely 
cleared  of  the  ice,  and  thus  we  might  be  detained  a 
fortnight  or  three  weeks  longer.  In  this  case  our  situation 
was  likely  to  become  as  unfortunate  as  that  to  which  v,  e 
had  been  reduced  by  our  shipwreck,  excepting  that 
the  weather  was  less  severe,  that  we  v-  ere  rather  better 
supplied  with  provisions,  and  had  at  leas>t  arms  to  recruit 
our  stock. 

The  frost  fortunately  rciured  on  the  12th,  and  we 
resolved  to  take  advantage  of  it  the  next  clay.  We 
that  day  proceeded  six  leagues,  sometimes  on  floating 
ice,  and  sometimes  in  (he  canoe.  On  the  14th  our  pro- 
visions being  almost  consumed,  I  proposed  to  go  in  pur- 
suit of  game,  which  appeared  to  abour.d  in  this  district, 
The  savages,  in  gf  >;k  only  en  the  wants  of  the 

day,  without  troubling  themselves  about  those  of  the 
morrow.  This  foresight  might,  however,  have  proved 
very  essential;  since  a  sudden  thaw  might  have  pre- 
vented us  from  going  out.  I  went  into  the  woods  with 
one  of  my  guides,  and  we  soon  discovered  the  traces 
of  an  elk,  which  my  Indian  killed  after  an  hours's  pur- 
suit. He  opened  him  with  much  dexterity,  caught  the 
blood  in  a  bladder,  and  cut  up  the  body  into  large 


154  LOSS    OK   AN    EN6LISH    SLOOP. 

quarters,  part  of  which  we  carried  on  our  shoulders  to 
the  canoe,  sending  the  other  Indian,  my  servant,  and 
-Mr.  Winslow  for  the  remainder.  This  expedition  pro- 
cured us  a  sufficient  stock  of  provisions  to  remove  any 
apprehension  of  want,  even  in  case  a  sudded  thaw  pre- 
vented us  from  continuing  our  route  on  the  lake,  or  ia 
the  woods. 

We  departed  early  in  the  morning  of  the  15th,  and 
that  day  went  six  leagues,  which  so  diminished  OUF 
strength,  alreadly  exhausted  by  long  hardships,  that  it 
was  impossible  to  proceed  the  next  day.  We  were 
detained  by  fatigue  till  the  J  8th,  when  we  resumed  our 
journey  in  the  same  manner,  that  is,  partly  on  the  float- 
ing ice,  and  partly  in  the  canoe,  in  those  places  where  the 
lake  was  not  frozen. 

I  then  had  an  opportunity  to  notice  the  beauties  of 
the  lake,  one  of  the  finest  that  I  have  seen  in  America, 
though  the  season  was  not  calculated  to  shew  it  to  ad- 
vantage. It  is  covered  with  an  infinite  number  of  small 
islands,  dispersed  over  its  surface,  which  gave  it  a  great 
resemblance  to  the  celebrated  lake  of  Killarney,  and  the 
other  fresh-water  lakes  of  Ireland.  No  settlement  has 
ever  been  made  on  these  islands,  though  the  soil  ap- 
pears fertile,  and  the  residence  upon  them  would  be 
delightful  in  summer,  were  it  possible  to  procure  fresh- 
water, of  which  they  are  entirely  destitute ;  and 
this  is  doubtless  the  reason  why  they  are  not  in- 
habited. 

If  the  ice  of  the  lake  had  been  uninterrupted,  and 
more  solid,  we  should  have  saved  much  time  and  trouble 
by  proceeding  directly  from  point  to  point,  from  one 
island  to  another,  instead  of  being  obliged  to  make  a 
long  circuit  at  every  bay  we  came  to. 

On  the  20th  we  arrived  at  St.  Peter's,  a  place  where 
there  is  a  settlement  of  a  few  English  and  French  fami- 
lies. I  am  bound  in  gratitude  to  make  mention  here  of 
Mr.  Cavanagh,  an  English  merchant,  who  received  us 
with  every  kind  of  civility,  and  who,  being  informed  of 
my  misfortunes,  had  the  confidence  to  advance  me  two 
hundred  pounds  sterling,  for  a  bill  of  exchange  which  I 
gave  him  on  my  father,  though  our  name  was  uttprly 
unknown  to  him. 


LOSS  OF  AN  ENGLISH  SLOOP.          155 

At  St.  Peter's  I  should  have  hired  a  fishing-boat  to 
repair  to  Halifax,  but  for  the  apprehension  of  falling  into 
the  hands  of  the  American  privateers,  with  which  those 
seas  were  then  infested.  The  lake  being  in  this  place 
separated  from  the  sea  by  a  forest  about  a  mile  broad, 
we  had  only  to  drag  our  canoe  that  distance,  in  order  to 
reach  the  coast  and  embark.  After  stopping  the  follow- 
ing days  in  different  places  of  little  consequence,  we 
arrived  on  the  25th  at  Narrashoe,  where  we  were  receiv- 
ed with  the  same  hospitality  as  at  St.  Peter's.  "\Ve  left 
it  on  the  26th,  in  our  canoe,  to  repair  to  Isle  Madame, 
situated  about  (he  middle  of  die  streights  of  Canceau, 
which  separate  Cape  Breton  from  Nova  Scotia :  but  at 
the  point  of  that  island  we  discovered  such  a  prodigious 
quantity  of  floating  ice,  that  it  would  have  been  the 
height  of  imprudence  to  venture  our  Iceble  bark  among 
it.  We  therefore  returned  to  Narrashoe,  where  I  hir- 
ed a  vessel  capable  of  resisting  its  violence.  I  ordered 
the  canoe  to  be  taken  on  board,  and  on  the  27th,  with 
the  assistance  of  the  most  favorable  wind,  we  crossed 
the  Streights  in  three  hours,  and  landed  at  Canceau, 
which  gives  name  to  them.  At  length,  after  a  naviga- 
tion of  ten  days  along  the  coast,  our  canoe  brought  us  in 
safety  into  the  harbor  of  Halifax. 

The  Indians  having  received  the  sum  we  had  agreed 
upon,  and  the  presents  with  which  I  endeavored  to  sat- 
isfy my  gratitude  towards  those  to  whom  1  owed  the 
preservation  of  my  life,  left  us  in  a  few  days  to  return 
to  their  island.  As  I  was  obliged  to  wait  a  considerable 
time  longer  for  a  vessel,  I  had,  during  that  interval,  the 
satisfaction  to  be  joined  by  my  companions  in  misfor- 
tune, whom  the  other  Indians  had  undertaken  to  con- 
duct by  Spanish  River.  At  last,  after  waiting  t\vo 
months,  I  embarked  in  the  ship  called  the  Royal  Oak, 
and  arrived  at  New-York,  where  I  delivered  my  dis- 
patches to  feaeral  Clinton  in  a  very  tattered  condition. 


IKE   LOSS   OF 

HIS  MAJESTY'S  SHIP  CENTAUR, 

OF  SEVENTY-FOUUR  GUNS,   SEPTEMBER  23,  1782  ; 

d  the  Miraculous  Preservation  of  the  Pinnace,  nith  the 
Captain,  Master,  and  Ten  of  the  Crew. 

(By  Captain  Inglejield.) 


the  decisive  engagment  in  the  West-In- 
dies, on  the  glorious  12th  of  April,  1782,  when  the 
French  fleet  under  Count  de  Grasse  was  defeated  by 
Admiral  Sir  George  Rodney,  several  of  the  captured 
ships,  besides  many  others,  were  either  lost  or  disabled, 
on  their  homeward  bound  passage,  with  a  large  convoy. 
Among  those  lost  was  the  Centaur  of  Severity  four  guns, 
whose  commander,  Captain  Ingiefield,  with  the  master 
and  ten  of  the  crew,  experienced  a  most  providential 
escape  from  the  general  fate. 

The  captain's  narrative  affords  the  best  explanation  of 
the  manner  and  means  by.  which  this  signal  deliverance 
was  effected.  Those  only  who  are  personally  involved 
in  such  a  calamity  can  describe  their  sensations  with 
full  energy,  and  furnish,  in  such  detail,  those  traits  of 
the  heart  which  never  fail  to  interest. 

The  Centaur  (says  Captain  Ingiefield)  left  Jamaica  in 
rather  a  leaky  condition,  keeping  two  hand-pumps  going^ 
and  when  it  blew  fresh,  sometimes  a  spel!  with  a 
chain-pump  was  necessary.  But  I  had  no  apprehension 
that  the  ship  was  not  able  to  encounter  a  common  gale 
of  wind. 


LOSS    OF    THE    CENTAUR.  127 

In  the  evening  of  the  1 6th  of  September,  when  the  fatal 
gale  came  on,  the  ship  was  prepared  for  the  worst  weath- 
er usually  met  in  those  latitudes,  the  main-sail  was  reef- 
ed and  set,  the  top-gallant  masts  struck,  and  the  mizen- 
yard  lowered  down,  though  at  that  time  it  did  not  blow 
very  strong.  Towards  midnight  it  blew  a  gale  of  wind, 
and  the  ship  made  so  much  water  that  I  was  obliged  to 
turn  all  hands  up  to  spell  the  pumps.  The  leak  still  in- 
creasing, I  had  thoughts  to  try  the  ship  before  the  sea, 
Happy  I  should  have  been,  perhaps,  had  I  in  this  been 
determined.  The  impropriety  of  leaving  the  convoy, 
except  in  the  last  extremity,  and  the  hopes  of  the  weath- 
er growing  moderate,  weighed  against  the  opinion  that  it 
was  right. 

About  two  in  the  morning  the  wind  lulled,  and  we 
flattered  ourselves  the  gale  was  breaking,  b'oon  after 
we  had  much  thunder  and  lightning  from  the  south-east, 
with  rate,  when  it  began  to  blow  strong  in  gusts  of  wind, 
which  obliged  me  to  haul  the  ir.ain-sail  up,  the  ship  be- 
ing then  under  bare  poles.  This  was  scarcely  done, 
when  a  gust  of  wind,  exceeding  in  violence  any  thing  of 
the  kind  I  had  ever  seen  or  had  any  conception  of,  laid 
the  ship  upon  her  beam  ends.  The  water  forsook  the 
hold  and  appeared  between  decks,  so  as  to  fill  the  ITH  iTs 
hammocks  to  leeward:  the  ship  lay  motionless,  and  to 
all  appearance  irrecoverably  overset.  The  water  in- 
creasing fast,  forced  through  the  cells  of  the  ports,  and 
scuttled  in  the  ports  from  the  pressure  of  the  ship.  I 

immediate  directions  to  cut  away  the  main  and 
mizen  masls,  hoping  when  the  ship  righted,  to  wear  her. 
The  mi zen  mast  went  first,  upon  cutting  one  or  two  of 
the  lanyards,  without  the  srpallest  eflect  on  the  ship; 
the  main-mast  followed,  upon  cuttiug  the  lanyard  of  one 
ehroud;  and  I  had  the  disappointment  to  see  the  fore- 
mast and  bowsprit  follow.  The  ship  upon  this  immedi- 
ately righted,  but  with  great  violence;  and  the  motion 
AVOS  so  quick,  that  it  was  difficult  for  the  people  to  \vork 
the  pumps.  Three  guns  broke  loose  upon  the  main- 

.  and  it  was  some  time  before  they  were  secured. 

;-?iI  m^n  being  maimed  in  this  attempt,  every  move- 
*V>]e  was  destroys:.!,  either  from  the  shot  thrown  loose 

r.:e  i'xV  -s.  or  the  wreck  of  the  deck.     Tlue  ofll- 
O 


**58  LOSS    OF    TIfE    CENTAUR. 

cers,  who  had  left  their  beds  naked,  when  the  ship  over- 
set in  the  morning,  had  not  an  article  of  clothes  to 
put  on,  nor  could  their  friends  supply  them. 

The  masts  had  not  heen  over  4he  sides  ten  minutes 
before  I  was  informed  the  tiller  had  broken  short  in  the 
rudder-head;  and  before  the  chocks  could  be  placed, 
the  rudder  itself  was  gone.  Thus  we  were  as  much 
disastered  as  it  was  possible,  lying  at  the  mercy  of  the 
wind  and  sea:  yet  I  had  one  comfort,  that  the  pumps, 
if  any  thing,  reduced  the  water  in  the  hold ;  and  as  the 
morning  came  on  (the  17th)  the  weather  grew  more 
moderate,  the  wind  having  shifted,  in  the  gale,  to  north- 
west-. 

At  day-light  I  saw  two  line  of  battle  ships  to  leeward; 
one  had  lost  her  fore-mast  and  bowsprit,  the  other  her 
main-mast.  It  was  the  general  opinion  on  board  the 
Centaur,  that  the  former  was  the  Canada,  the  other  the 
Clorieux.  The  Ramilies  was  not  in  sight,  nor  more  than 
fifteen  sail  of  merchant  ships. 

About  seven  in  i^e  morning  I  saw  another  line  of  bat- 
lie  ship  ahead  of  us,  which  1  soon  distinguished  to  be  the 
Ville  de  Paris,  with  all  her  masts  standing.  I  immedi- 
ately gave  orders  to  make  the  signal  of  distress,  hoist- 
ing the  ensign  on  the  stump  of  the  mizen-mast,  union 
downwards,  and  firing  one  of  the  forcastle  guns.  The 
ensign  blew  away  soon  after  it  was  hoisted,  and  it  was 
the  only  one  we  had  remaining;  but  I  had  the  sa*:sfao 
tion  to  see  the  Ville  de  Paris  wear  and  stand  towards  us. 
Several  of  the  merchant  ships  also  approached  us,  and 
those  that  could,  hailed,  and  offered  their  assistance ; 
but  depending  upon  the  King's  ship,  I  only  thanked 
them,  desiring,  if  they  joined  Admiral  Graves,  to  ac- 
quaint him  of  our  condition.  I  had  riot  the  smallest 
doubt  but  the  Ville  de  Paris  was  conmig  to  us,  as  she 
appeared  to  us  not  to  have  suffered  in  the  least  by  the 
storm,  and  having  seen  her  wear,  we  knew  she  was  un- 
der government  of  her  helm:  at  this  time  also,  it  was  so 
moderate  that  the  merchantmen  set  their  top-sails,  but 
approaching  within  two  miles,  she  passed  us  to  wind- 
ward ;  this  being  observed  by  one  of  the  merchant  ships, 
L; he  wore  and  came  under  our  stern,  offering  to  carry 
any  message  to  her.  I  desired  the  m^ttr  would  ac* 


LOSS    OF    THE    CENTAUR.  1  "? 

quaint  Captain  Wilkinson  that  the  Centaur  had  lost  her 
rudder,  as  well  as  her  masts ;  that  she  made  a  great 
deal  of  water,  and  that  I  desired  he  w*»uld  remain  with 
her  until  the  weather  grew  moderate.  I  saw  tho  KB 
ehantman  approach  afterwards  near  enough  to  speak  to 
the  Ville  de  Paris,  but  I  am  afraid  that  her  condition  was 
much  worse  than  it  appeared  to  be,  as  she  continued  up- 
on that  tack.  In  the  mean  time  all  the  quarter-deck 
guns  were  t-irown  overboard,  and  all  but  six,  which  had 
overset,  off  Ihe  main  deck.  The  ship,  lying  in  the 
trough  of  t;  e  sea,  labored  prodigiously.  I  got  over 
one  of  the  small  anchors,  with  a  boom  and  several  gun 
carnages,  veering  out  from  the  head-door  by  a  large 
hawser,  to  keep  the  ship's  bow  to  the  sea ;  but 
this,  with  a  top-gallant-sai!  upon  the  stump  ofthemizen- 
mast.  had  not  the  desired  effect, 

As  the  evening  came  on  it  grew  hazy,  and  ble'v 
strong  in  squalls.  We  lost  sight  of  the  Ville  de  Paris, 
but  I  lf.-t'.;:>:t  it  :\  <  <  ;!.«Infy  Hint  we  should  sec  her  the 
next  morning.  The  ni^ht  was  passed  in  constant  labor 
at  the  pump.  Sometimes  the  wind  lulled,  and  the  wa- 
ter diminished;  when  it  blew  strong  again,  the  sea  rising, 
the  water  again  increased. 

Towards  the  morning  of  the  18th  I  was  informed 
there  was  seven  feet  water  upon  the  kelson ;  that  one 
of  the  winches  was  broken  ;  that  the  two  spare  ones 
would  not  fit,  and  that  the  hand-pumps  were  choked. 
These  circumstances  were  sufficiently  alarming ;  but 
upon  opening  the  after-hold,  to  get  some  ruin  up  for  the 
people,  -we  found  our  condition  much  more  so. 

It  will  be  necessary  to  mention,  that  the  Centaur's  af- 
ter-hold was  inclosed  by  a  bulk-head  at  the  after  part  of 
the  well ;  here  all  the  dry  provisions,  and  the  ship's  rum 
were  stowed  upon  twenty  chaldrons  of  coal,  which  un- 
fortunately had  been  started  on  this  part  of  tin?  ship,  and 
by  them  the  pumps  were  continually  choked.  The  ch?in- 
puinps  were  so  much  worn  as  to  be  of  little  usr  ;  and 
the  leathers,  which,  had  the  well  been  clear,  would  have 
lasted  twenty  days,  or  more,  were  all  consumed  in  eight. 
At  this  time  it  was  observed,  that  the  water  had  wot  a 
passage  to  the  well,  for  there  was  so  much,  th 
washed  against  the  orlop-deck.  All  the  rum,  twenty-six 


160  LOSS    OP   THE    CENTAUR. 

puncheons ;  and  all  the  provisions,  of  which  there  was 
sufficient  for  two  months,  in  casks,  were  staved,  having 
floated  with  violence,  from  side  to  side,  until  there  was 
not  a  whole  cask  remaining :  even  the  staves  that  were 
found  upon  clearing  the  hold,  were  most  of  them  broken 
in  two  pieces.  In  the  fore-hold  we  had  a  prospect  of 
perishing:  should  the  ship  swim,  we  had  no  water  but 
what  remained  in  the  ground  tier  ;  and  over  this  all  the 
wet  provisions,  and  butts  filled  with  salt-water,  were 
floating,  and  with  so  much  motion,  that  no  man  could 
with  safety  go  into  the  hold.  There  wa*  nothing  left 
for  us  to  try,  but  bailing  with  buckets  at  the  fore-hatch- 
way and  fish  room  ;  and  twelve  large  canvas  buckets 
were  immediately  employed  at  each.  On  opening  the 
fish  room  we  were  so  fortunate  as  to  discover,  that  two 
puncheons  of  rum,  which  belonged  to  me,  had  escaped. 
They  were  immediately  got  up,  and  served  out  at 
times  in  drams  ;  and  had  it  not  been  for  this  relief,  arid 
some  lime  juice,  the  people  would  have  dropped. 

We  soon  found  our  account  in  bailing ;  the  spare 
pump  had  been  put  down  the  fore  hatchway,  and  a 
pu: :-•>  shifted  to  the  fish  room;  but  the  motion  of  the 
ship  ha<;  washed  the  coals  so  small,  that  they  had  reach- 
ed every  part  of  the  ship,  and  the  pumps  were  soon 
clicked.  However,  the  water  by  noon  had  considerably 
diminished  by  working  the  buckets  ;  but  there  appeared 
no  prospect  of  saving  the  shin,  if  the  gale  continued. 
The  labor  was  to  great  to  hold  out  without  water  ;  yet 
the  people  worked  without  a  murmur,  and  indeed  with 
cheerfulness. 

At  this  time  the  weather  was  more  moderate,  and  a 
couple  of  spars  were  got  ready  for  shears  to  set  up  a 
jury  fore- mast ;  but  as  the  evening  came  on,  the  gale 
again  increased.  We  had  seen  nothing  this  day  but  the 
sliip  that  had  lost  her  main  mast,  and  she  appeared  to 
be  as  much  in  want  of  assistance  as  ourselves,  having 
fired  guns  of  distress  ;  and  before  night  I  was  told  her 
fore-mast  was  gone. 

The  Centaur  labored  so  much,  that  I  had  scarcely  «i 
hope  she  could  swim  till  morning.  However,  by  great 
exertion  of  the  chain  pumps  and  bailing,  we  held  our 
own,  but  our  sufferings  for  want  of  water  were  very 


LOSS    OF   THE    CENTAUR.  161 

gr^at,  and  many  of  the  people  could  not  be  restrained 
from  drinking  salt-water. 

At  daylight  (the  19th)  there  was  no  vessel  in  sight  ; 
and  flashes  from  guns  having  been  seen  in  the  night,  we 
feared  the  ship  we  had  seen  the  preceding  day  had  foun- 
dered. Towards  ten  o'clock  in  the  forenoon  the  weath- 
er grew  more  moderate,  the  water  diminished  in  the 
hold,  and  the  people  were  encouraged  to  redouble  their 
efforts  to  get  the  water  low  enough  to  break  a  cask  of 
fresh  water  out  of  the  ground  tier  ;  and  some  of  the 
most  resolute  of  the  seamen  were  employed  in  the 
attempt.  At  noon  we  succeeded  with  one  cask,  which, 
though  Jittle,  was  a  seasonable  relief.  All  the  officers, 
passengers,  and  boys,  who  were  not  of  the  profession  of 
seaman,  had  been  employed  thrumming  a  saif,  which 
was  passed  under  the  ship's  bottom,  and  I  thought  it  had 
some  effect.  The  shears  were  raised  for  the  foremast; 
the  weather  looked  promising,  the  sea  fell,  and  at  night 
we  were  able  to  relieve  at  the  pumps  and  bailing  every 
two  hours.  By  the  morning  of  the  20th  the  fore-hold 
was  cleared  of  the  water,  and  we  had  the  comfortable 
promise  of  a  fine  day.  It  proved  so,  and  I  was  deter- 
mined to  make  use  of  it  with  every  possible  exertion. 
I  divided  the  ship's  company,  with  the  officers  attending 
them,  into  parties,  to  raise  the  jury  fore-mast ;  to  heave 
over  the  lower-deck  guns  ;  to  clear  the  wrecks  of  the 
fore  and  after  holds  :  to  prepare  the  machine  foi  steering 
the  ship,  and  to  work  the  pumps.  By  night  the  after- 
hold  was  as  clear  as  when  the  ship  was  launched  ;  for, 
to  our  astonishment,  there  was  not  a  shovel  of  coals 
remaining,  twenty  chaldrons  having  been  pumped  out 
since  the  commencement  of  the  gale.  What  I  have  cal- 
led the  wreck  of  the  hold,  \vas  the  bulk  heads  of  the 
after  hold,  fish  room,  and  spirit  rooms.  The  standards 
of  the  cock-pit,  and  immense  quantity  of  staves  and 
wood,  and  part  of  the  lining  of  the  ship,  were  thr  \  ii 
over-board,  that  if  the  water  should  ag^in  appear  in  the 
hold,  we  might  have  no  impediment  in  bailing.  All  the 
guns  were  overboard,  the  fore-mast  secured,  and  the 
machine,  which  was  to  be  similar  to  that  with  which  the 
Ipswich  was  steered,  was  in  great  forwardness  ;  so 
that  J  was  in  hopes,  the  moderate  weather  continuing 
OS 


162  LOSS    OP   THE    CENTAUR. 

that  I  should  be  able  to  steer  the  ship  by  noon  the  fol- 
lowing day,  and  at  least  save  the  people  on  some  of  the 
Western  Islands.  Had  we  had  any  other  ship  in  compa- 
ny with  us  I  should  have  thought  it  my  duty  to  have 
quitted  the  Centaur  this  day. 

Tliis  night  the  people  got  some  rest  by  relieving  the 
watches  ;  but  in  the  morning  of  the  21st  we  had  the 
mortification  to  find  that  the  weather  again  threatened, 
and  by  noon  it  blew  a  gale.  The  ship  labored  greatly, 
and  the  water  appeared  in  the  fore  and  after-hoTd,  and 
increased.  The  carpenter  also  informed  me  that  the 
leathers  were  nearly  consumed ;  and  likewise  that 
the  chains  of  the  pumps,  by  constant  exertion,  and 
the  friction  of  the  coals,  were  considered  as  nearly 
useless. 

As  we  had  now  no  other  resource  but  bailing,  I  gave 
orders  that  scuttles  should  be  cut  through  the  decks  to 
introduce  more  buckets  in  the  hold ;  and  all  the  sail- 
makers  were  employed,  night  and  day,  in  making  can- 
vas buckets:  and  the  orlop  deck  having  fallen  in  on  the 
larboard  side,  I  ordered  the  sheet  cable  to  be  roused 
overboard.  The  wind  at  this  time  was  at  west,  and 
being  on  the  larboard  tack,  many  schemes  had  been 
practiced  to  wear  the  ship,  that  we  might  drive  into  a 
less  boisterous  latitude,  as  well  as  approach  the  Western 
Islands ;  but  none  succeeded  :  and  having  a  weak  car- 
penter's crew,  they  were  hardly  sufficient  to  attend  the 
pumps ;  so  that  we  could  not  make  any  progress 
with  the  steering  machine.  Another  sail  had  been 
thrummed  and  got  over,  but  we  did  not  find  its  use ; 
indeed  there  was  no  prospect  but  in  a  change  of  weath- 
er. A  large  leak  had  been  discovered  and  stopt  in  the 
fore-hold  and  another  in  the  lady's  hole,  but  the  ship 
appeared  so  weak  from  her  laboring,  that  it  was  clear 
she  could  not  last  long.  The  after  cock-pit  had  fallen 
in,  the  fore  cock-pit  the  same,  with  ail  the  store  rooms 
down  ;  the  stern  post  wa^s  so  loose,  that  as  the  ship  roll- 
ed, the  water  rushed  in  on  either  side  in  great  streams, 
which  we  could  not  stop. 

Night  came  on,  with  the  same  dreary  prospect  as  on . 
the  proceeding,  and  was  passed  in  continual  efforts  of 
labor.  Morning  came,  (the  22d),  without  our  seeing 


LOSS    0V   THE    CENTAUR.  163 

any  tiring,  or  any  change  of  weather,  and  the  day  was 
spent  with  the  same  struggles  to  keep  the  ship  above 
water,  pumping  and  bailing  at  the  hatchways  and  scut- 
tles. Towards  night  another  of  the  chain  pumps  wa= 
rendered  quite  useless,  by  one  of  the  rollers  being  dis- 
placed at  the  bottom  of  the  pump,  and  this  was  without 
remedy,  there  being  too  much  water  in  the  well  to  get 
to  it  :  we  also  had  but  six  leathers  remaining,  so  that  the 
fate  of  the  ship  was  not  far  off.  Stiil  the  labor  went  on 
without  any  apparent  despair,  every  officer  taking  his 
share  of  it,  and  the  people  were  always  cheerful  and 
obediant. 

During  the  night  the  water  increased  :  but  about 
seven  in  the  morning  of  the  23d  I  was  told  that  an  unu- 
sual quantity  of  water  appeared,  all  at  once,  in  the  fore 
bold,  which,  upon  my  going  forward  to  be  convinced, 
I  found  but  too  true  ;  the  stowage  of  the  hold  ground- 
tier  was  all  in  motion,  so  that  in  a  short  time  there  was 
not  a  whole  cask  to  be  seen.  We  were  convinced  the 
ship  had  sprung  a  fresh  leak.  Another  sail  had  been 
thrumming  all  night,  and  I  was  giving  directions  to  place 
it  over  the  bows,  when  I  perceived  the  thip  settling  by 
the  head,  the  lower  deck  bow-ports  being  even  with 
the  water. 

At  this  period  the  carpenter  acquainted  me  the  well 
was  staved  in,  destroyed  by  the  wreck  of  the  hold,  and 
the  chain  pumps  displaced  and  totally  useless.  There 
was  nothing  left  but  to  redouble  our  efforts  in  bailing,  but 
it  became  difficult  to  fill  the  buckets,  from  the  quantity  of 
staves,  planks,  anchor  stock,  and  yard  arm  pieces, 
which  were  now  washed  from  the  wings,  and  floating 
from  side  to  side  with  the  motion  of  the  ship.  The  pec- 
pie,  till  this  period,  had  labored,  as  if  determined  to  con- 
quer their  difficulties,  without  a  murmur  or  without  a 
tear  ;  but  now  seeing  their  efforts  useless,  many  of 
them  burst  into  tears  and  wept  like  children. 

I  gave  orders  for  the  anchors,  of  which  we  had  two 
remaining,  to  be  thrown  overboard,  one  of  which,  (the 
spare  anchor,)  had  been  most  surprisingly  hove  in  upon, 
the  forecastle  and  mid  ships,  when  the  ship  had  been 
her  bea?nends,  and  gone  through  the  deck, 


164  LOSS    OP   THE    CENTAUR, 

Every  time  that  I  visited  the  hatch-way  I  observed 
the  water  increased,  and  at  noon  washed  even  with  the 
orlop  deck :  the  carpenter  assured  me  the  ship  could  not 
swim  long,  and  proposed  making  rafts  to  float  the  ship's 
company,  whom  it  was  not  in  my  power  to  encourage 
any  longer  with  a  prospect  of  their  safety.  Some  ap- 
peared perfectly  resigned,  went  to  their  hammocks  and 
desired  their  messmates  to  lash  them  in ;  others  were 
lashing  themselves  to  gratings  and  small  rafts  ;  but  the 
most  predominant  idea  was,  that  of  putting  on  their  best 
and  pleanest  clothes. 

The  weather,  about  noon,  had  been  something  mode- 
rate, and  as  rafts  had  been  mentioned  by  the  carpenter, 
I  thought  it  right  to  make  the  attempt,  though  I  knew 
pur  booms  could  not  float  half  the  ships  company  in  fine 
weather ;  but  we  were  in  a  situation  to  catch  at  a  straw. 
I  therefore  called  the  ship's  company  together,  told  them 
my  intention,  recommending  to  them  to  remain  regular 
and  obedient  to  their  officers.  Preparations  were  imme- 
diately made  to  this  purpose  ;  the  booms  were  cleared ; 
the  boats,  of  which  we  had  three,  viz.  cutter,  pinnace, 
and  five-oared  yawl,  were  got  over  the  side  ;  a  bag  of 
bread  was  ordered  to  be  put  in  each,  awd  any  liquors 
that  could  be  got  at,  for  the  purpose  of  supplying  the 
rafts.  I  had  intended  myself  to  go  in  the  five  oared 
yawl,  and  the  coxswain  was  desired  to  get  any  thing 
from  my  steward  that  might  be  useful.  Two  men,  cap- 
tains of  the  tops,  of  the  forecastle,  or  quarter-masters, 
were  placed  in  each  of  them,  to  prevent  any  person  from 
forcing  the  boats,  or  getting  into  them  until  an  arrange- 
ment was  made.  -  WJjile  these  preparations  were  mak- 
ing, the  ship  was  gradually  sinking,  the  orlop  decks  hav- 
ing been  blown  up  by  the  water  in  the  hold,  and  the  cables 
floated  to  the  gun  deck.  The  men  had  some  time  quit- 
ed  their  employ  meat,  of  bailing,  and  the  ship  was  left 
to  her  fate. 

In  the  afternoon  the  weather  again  threatened,  and 
blew  strongly  in  squalls ;  the  sea  ran  high,  and  one  of 
the  boats  (the  yawl)  was  slaved  along-side  and  sunk.  As 
the  evening  approached,  the  ship  appeared  little  more 
than  suspended  in  water.  There  was  no  certainty  that 
she  would  swim  from  one  minute  to  another;  and 


LOSS    OF    THE    CENTAUR.  16u 

the  love  of  life,  which  I  believe  never  shewed  itself  later 
in  the  approach  to  death,  began  now  to  level  all  distinc- 
tions. It  was  impossible,  indeed,  for  any  man  to  de- 
ceive himself  with  a  hope  of  beircr;  saved  upon  a  raft  in 
such  a  sea;  besides  that,  the  ship  in  sinking,  it  was 
probable,  would  carry  every  thing  down  with  her  in  a 
vortex,  to  a  certain  distance. 

It  was  near  five  o'clock,  when,  coining  from  my 
cabin,  I  observed  a  number  of  people  looking  very  anx- 
iously over  the  side  ;  and  looking  over  myself,  I  saw 
that  several  men  had  forced  the  pinnace,  and  that  more 
were  attempting  to  g*t  in.  I  had  in  mediate  thoughts  of 
securing  this  boat  before  she  might  be  sunk  by  numbers. 
There  appeared  not  more  than  a  moment  for  considera- 
tion ;  to  remain  and  perish  with  the  ship's  company,  to 
whom  I  could  not  be  of  use  any  longer,  or  seize  the 
opportunity,  which  seemed  the  only  way  of  escaping:, 
and  leave  the  people,  with  whom  I  had  been  so  well 
satisfied  on  a  variety  of  occasions  that  I  thought  I  could 
give  my  life  to  preserve  them.  This,  indeed,  was  a 
painful  conflict,  such  as,  I  believe,  no  man  can  decribc, 
nor  any  have  a  just  idea  of  who  has  not  been  in  a  simi- 
lar situation. 

The  love  of  life  prevailed.  I  called  to  Mr.  Rainy, 
the  master,  the  only  officer  upon  deck,  desired  him  to 
follow  me,  and  immediately  descended  into  the  boat 
?.t  the  after  part  of  the  chains,  but  not  without  great 
difficulty  got  the  boat  clear  of  the  ship,  twice  the  num- 
ber that  the  boat  would  carry  pushing  to  get  in,  and  many 
jumping  into  the  waler.  Mr.  Bayiis,  a  young  gentle- 
man fifteen  years  of  age,  leaped  from  the  chains,  after 
the  boat  had  got  off,  and  was  taken  in.  The  boat 
falling  astern,  became  exposed  to  the  sea,  and  we  en- 
deavored to  poll  her  bow  round  to  keep  her  to  the 
break  of  the  sea,  and  to  pass  to  windward  of  the  ship  ; 
but  in  the  attempt  she  was  nearly  filled,  the  sea  ran  too 
high,  and  the  only  probability  of  living  was  keeping  her 
before  the  wind. 

It  was  then  that  I  became  sensible  how  little,  if  any, 
better  our  condition  v;as  than  that  of  those  who  remain- 
ed in  the  ship  ;  at  best,  it  appeared  to  be  only  a  prolong- 
ation of  a  miserable  existence.  We  were,  all  togeth- 


166  lOSS    OF    THE    CENTAUR. 

er,  twelve  in  number,  in  a  I.eaky  boat,  with  one  of  the 
gunwales  staved  in  nearly  the  middle  of  the  Western 
Ocean,  without  a  compass,  without  quadrant,  without 
sail,  without  great  coat  or  cloak,  all  very  thinly  clothed, 
in  a  gale  of  wind,  with  a  great  sea  vanning  !  It  was 
now  five  o'clock  in  the  evening,  ruv.l  in  half  an  hour 
we  lost  sight  of  the  ship.  Before  it  vras  dark  a  blanket 
was  discovered  in  the  boat.  This  was  immediately  bent  to 
one  of  the  stretches,  and  under  it,  as  a  sail,  we  scudded 
all  night,  in  expectation  of  being  swallowed  up  by  every 
wave,  it  being  with  great  difficulty  that  we  could  some- 
times clear  the  boat  of  the  water,  before  the  -return  of 
the  next  great  sea ;  all  of  us  half  drowned,  and  sitting, 
except  those  who  baled,  at  the  bottom  of  the  boat;  and, 
without  having  really  perished,  I  am  sure  no  people 
ever  endured  more.  In  the  morning  the  weather  grew 
moderate,  the  wind  having  shifted  to  the  southward,  as 
we  discovered  by  the  sun.  Having  survived  the  night, 
we  began  to  recollect  ourselves,  and  to  think  of  our 
future  preservation. 

When  we  quitted  the  ship  the  wind  was  at  N.  W.  '0,r 
N.  N.  W.  Fayalhad  borne  B.  S.  E.  250  or  260  leagues. 
Had  the  wind  continued  for  five  or  six  day^  there  \$b$ 
a  probability  that  running  before  the  sea^v^  might  have 
fallen  in  with  some  one  of  the  Western  glands.  The 
change  of  wind  was  death  to  these  hopes  ;  for,  should  it 
come  to  blow,  we  knew  there  would  be  no  -preserving 
life,  but  by  running  before  the  sea,  which  would  carry 
us  again  to  the  northward,  where  we  must  soon  after- 
wards perish. 

Upon  examining  wiiat  we  had  to  subsist  on,  I  found  a 
bag  of  bread,  a  small  ham,  a  single  piece  of  pork,  two 
quart  bottles  of  water,  and  a  few  of  French  cordials. 
The  wind  continued  to  the  southward  for  eight  ojv  nine 
days,  and  providentially  never  blew  so  strong  but  that 
we  could  keep  the  side  of  the  boat  to  the  sea  :  but  we 
were  always  most  miserably  wret  and  cold. .  We  kept  a 
sort  of  reckoning,  but  the  sun  and  stars  being  some- 
what hidden  from  us,  for  twenty-four  hours,  wre  had  no 
very  correct  idea  of  our  navigation.  We  judged,  that 
we  had  nearly  an  E.  N.  E.  course  since  the'  first 
night  s's  run,  which  had  carried  us  to  the  S,  E.  and 


LOSS    OP    THE    CENTAUR.  167- 

expected  to  see  the  island  of  Corvo.  In  this,  however^ 
we  were  disappointed,  and  we  feared  that  the  southerly 
wind  had  driven  us  far  to  the  northward.  Our  ptayers 
were  now  for  a  northerly  wind.  Our  condition  began 
to  be  truly  miserable,  both  from  hunger  and  cold  ;  for 
on  the  fifth  day  we  had  discovered  that  our  bread  was 
nearly  all  spoiled  by  salt-water,  and  it  was  necessary  to 
go  on  an  allowance.  One  biscuit  divided  into  &velve 
morsels,  for  breakfast,  and  the  same  for  dinner  ;  the 
neck  of  a  bottle  broken  off,  with  the  cork  in,  served 
for  a  glass,  and  this,  filled  with  water,  was  the  allow- 
ance for  twenty-four  hours  for  each  man.  This  was 
done  without  any  sort  of  partiality  or  distinction :  but 
we  must  have  perished  ere  this,  had  we  not  caught  six 
quarts  of  rain  water ;  and  this  we  could  not  have  been 
blessed  with,  had  we  not  found  in  the  boat  a  pair  of 
sheets,  which  by  accident  had  been  put  there.  Theses 
were  spread  when  it  rained,  and  when  thoroughly  weJ, 
wrung  into  the  kidd,  with  which  we  baled  the  boat. 
With  this  short  allowarre,  which  was  rather  tantalizing 
<«T  comfortless  condition,  we  began  to  grow  very  fee- 
ble, and  our  clothes  being  continually  wet,  our  bodies 
were,  in  many  places,  chafed  into  sores. 

On  the"  15th  day  it  fell  calm,  and  soon  after  a  breeze 
of  wiitd  sprung  up    from  the  N.  N.  W.  and  blew   to  a, 
gale,  so  ti  at  we  ran  before  the  sea  at  the  rate  of  five  or 
six  miles -an  hour  under  our  blanket,  till  we  judged  we 
w^re  to   the  southward   of  Fayal,  and  to  the  westward 
.  60-feagucs:  but  the  wind  blowing  stroDg    we  could  not 
:pt  to  steer  for  it.     Our  wishes  were  now  for   the 
wind  to  shift  (o    the  westward.     This  was   the  fifteenth 
j  day  we  had  been  ir  ,  and  we  had  only  one  day's 

bread,  ai/d    one  bottle  of  water  remaining  of  a  second 
supply  of  -rain.     Our  sufferings  were  now  as  great  &s  hu- 
man strength  could  bear,  but    we  were  convinced 
good  spirits   were    a    better  support  than    great   f 
.s'rongth;  for  on  this    day    Thomas  Matihews,  quarter- 
master, the  stoutest  man  in  the  boat,  perished  from  hun- 
ger and  cold  :  on  the  day  before  he  had  complained  of 
want  of  strength  in  his  throat,  as  he    expressed   it,  to 
swaiiow  his  morsel,  hnd  w.  ?Le  night  dna=k   &:-!f-wa(er, 
grew  delirious,  and  died  without  a  groan.     As  it  became 


I6B  LOSS    OP   THE    CENTAUR. 

next  to  a  certainty  that  we  should  all  perish  in  the  same 
manner  in  a  day  or  two,  it  was  somewhat  comfortable 
to  reflect,  that  dying  of  hunger  was  not  so  dreadful  as 
our  imaginations  had  represented.  Others  had  com- 
plained of  these  symptoms  in  their  throats  ;  some  had 
drank  their  own  urine ;  and  all  but  myself  hand  drank 
salt-water. 

As  yet  despair  and  gloom  had  been  successfully  pro- 
hibited ;  and,  as  the  evenings  closed  in,  the  men  had 
been  encouraged  by  turns  to  sing  a  song,  or  relate  a  sto- 
ry, instead  of  supper ;  but  this  evening  I  found  it  impos- 
sible to  raise  either.  As  the  night  came  on  it  fell  cairn, 
and  about  midnight  a  breeze  of  wind  sprang  up,  we  guess- 
ed from  the  westward  by  the  swell,  but  there  not  being 
a  star  to  be  seen,  we  were  afraid  of  running  out  of  our 
way,  and  waited  impatiently  for  the  rising  sun  to  be  our 
compass. 

As  soon  as  the  dawn  appeared,  we  found  the  wind  to 
be  exactly  as  we  had  wished,  at  W.  S.  W.  and  imme- 
diately spread  our  sail,  running  before  the  sea  at  the  rate 
of  four  miles  an  hour.  Our  last  breakfast  had  been 
served  with  the  bread  and  water  remaining,  \\hen  John 
Gregory,  quarter-master,  declared  with  much  confidence, 
that  he  saw  land  in  the  8.  E.  We  had  so  often  seen 
fog  banks,  which  had  the  appearance  of  land,  that  I  did 
not  trust  myself  to  believe  it,  and  cautioned  the  people 
(who  were  extravagantly  elated,)  that  they  might  not 
feel  the  effects  of  disappointment :  till  at  length  one  of 
them  broke  out  into  a  most  immoderate  swearing  fit  of 
joy,  which  I  could  not  restrain,  and  declared  he  had 
never  seen  land  in  his  life  if  what  he  now  saw  was  not 
land. 

We  immediately  shaped  our  course  for  it,  though  on 
my  part  with  very  little  faith.  The  wind  freshened  ;  the 
boat  went  through  the  water  at  the  rate  of  five  or  six 
miles  an  hour,  and  in  two  hour's  time  the  land  was 
plainly  seen,  by  every  man  in  the  boat,  but  at  a  very 
great  distance,  so  that  we  did  not  reach  it  till  ten  at 
night.  It  must  have  been  at  least  twenty  leag.r^s  from 
us  when  first  discovered;  and  I  cannot hcin  ren 
ing,  with  much  thankfulness,  •  ;al  fay 

.shewn  to  TJS  in  this  instance. 


OP   THE   CENT  AUK.  I-G8 

In  every  part  of  the  horizon,  except  where  the  land  wns 
discovered,  there  was  so  thick  a  haze  that  we  could  not 
have  seen  any  thing  for  more  than  three  or  tour  leagues 
Fayal,  by  our  reckoning,  bore  E.  by  N.  which  course 
we  were  steering,  and  in  a  few  hours,  had  not  the  skj 
opened  for  our  preservation,  *ve  should  have  increased 
our  distance  from  the  land,  got  to  the  eastward,  and  of 
course  missed  all  the  island.  As  we  approached  the 
fend  our  belief  had  strengthened  that  it  was  FayaS. 
The  island  of  Pico,  which  might  have  revealed  it  to  u?, 
had  the  weather  been  perfectly  clear,  was  at  this  time 
capped  with  clouds,  and  it  was  some  time  before  wt» 
were  quite  satisfied,  having  traversed  for  two  hours  a 
great  part  of  the  island,  where  the  steep  and  rocky  shore 
refused  us  a  landing.  This  circumstance  was  borne 
with  much  impatience,  for  we  had  flattered  ourselves 
that  we  should  meet  with  fresh  water  at  the  first  part 
of  the  land  we  might  approach  ;  and  being  disappointed, 
the  thirst  of  some  had  increased  anxiety  almost  to  a 
degree  of  madness ;  so  that  we  were  near  making  the 
attempt  to  land  in  some  places  where  the  boat  miibt 
have  been  dashed  to  pieces  by  the  surf.  At  length  we 
discovered  a  fishing  canoe,  which  conducted  us  into 
the  road  of  Fayal  about  midnight ;  but  where  the  regu- 
lation of  the  port  did  not  permit  »s  to  laud  till  examined 
by  the  health  officers :  however,  I  did  not  think  much 
of  sleeping  this  night  in  the  boat,  our  pilot  having 
brought  us  some  refreshments  of  bread,  wine,  and  wa- 
ter. In  the  morning  we  were  visited  by  Mr.  Graham, 
the  English  consul,  whose  humane  attention  made  very 
ample  amends  for  the  formality  of  the  Portuguese, 
Indeed  I  can  never  sufficiently  express  the  sense  1  have 
of  his  kindness  and  humanity,  both  to  myself  ami  peo- 
ple ;  for,  I  believe,  it  was  the  whole  of  his  employ- 
ment for  several  days  to  contrive  the  best  means  of 
;-ing  us  to  health  and  strength.  It  is  true,  I  believe 
there  never  were  more  pifi&Me  objects.  Some  of  the 
stoutest  men  belonging  to  the  Centaur  were  obliged 
to  be  supported  through  the  streets  of  Fayal.  Mr. 
Rainy,  the  master,  arid  myself,  were,  I  think,  in  better 
health  than  the  rest ;  but  I  could  not  walk  without  being 
P 


170  LOSS   OF  THE   CENTAtJK. 

supported  ;    and  for  several  days,    with  the  best  and 
most  comfortable  provisions  of  diet  and  lodging,    we 
grew  rather  worse  than  better. 
FAYAL  Oct.  13,  1782. 

J.  N.  INGLEFIELB. 


Names  of  the  Officers  and  men  who  were  saved  in 
the  Pinnace. 

Captain  Inglefield. 
Thomas  Rainy,  master. 
Robert  Baylis,  midshipman. 
James  Clark,  surgeon's  mate. 
Timothy  Sullivan,  captain's  coxswain, 
John  Gregory,  quarter  master. 

SEAMEN. 

Charles  M'Carty. 
Charles  Flinn. 
Charles  Gallohar. 
Theodore  Hutchins, 
Thomas  Stevenson. 


Names  of  the  Officers  left  in  the  Ship  and  sup- 
posed to  have  Perished. 

LIEUTENANTS. 

John  Jordan,         1st. 
John  Treleven,     2d. 
George  Lindsay,   3d. 
George  Scojt,        4th. 
George  Breton,     5th. 

.John  Bell,  captain  of  marines. 
'Thomas  Hunter,  purser. 


LOSS   OF   TEE    CESTAUR.  17X* 

Thomas  Williamson,  surgeon. 
Thomas  Wood,  boatswain. 
Charles  Penlarick,  gunner. 
Allen  Woodriff,  carpenter. 


Mates  and  Midshipmen. 

Messrs.  Dobson,  Warden,  Hay,  Ev£rhart,   Minshaw^ 
Sampson,  Lindsay,  Chalmers,  Thomas,  Young. 


SHIPWRECK  6> 

THE  SLOOP  BETSY, 

On  the  Coast  of  Dutch  Guiana,  August  5,  1756. 
PHILIP  AUBIN,  COMMANDER. 


the  1st  of  August,  1756,  says  Capt.  Aufoin, 
I  set  sail  for  Surinam,  from  Carlisle  Bay,  in  the  island 
of  Barbadoes.  My  sloop,  of  about  eighty  tons  burthen, 
was  built  entirely  of  cedar,  and  freighted  by  Messrs. 
Roscoe  and  Nyles,  merchants  of  Bridgetown.  The 
cargo  consisted  of  provisions  of  every  kind,  and  horses. 
The  Dutch  colony  being  in  want  of  a  supply  of  those 
animals,  passed  a  law  that  no  English  vessel  should  be 
permitted  to  enter  there,  if  horses  did  not  constitute 
part  of  her  cargo.  The  Dutch  were  so  rigid  in  enforc- 
ing this  condition,  that  if  the  horses  chanced  to  die  on 
their  passage,  the  master  of  the  vessel  was  obliged  to 
preserve  the  ears  and  hoofs  of  the  animals,  and  to  swear 
upon  entering  the  port  of  Surinam,  that  when  he  em- 
barked they  were  alive,  arid  destined  for  that  colony. 

The  coasts  of  Surinam,  Berbice,  Demerara,  Oronoko, 
nncl  all  the  adjacent  parts,  are  low  lands,  and  inundated 
by  large  rivers,  which  discharge  themselves  into  the  sea. 
The  bottom  all  along  this  coast  is  composed  of  a  kind 
of  mud,  or  clay,  in  which  the  anchors  sink  to  the  depth 
« »f  three  or  four  fathoms,  and  upon  which  the  keel  some- 
times strikes  without  stopping  the  vessel.  The  sloop 
being  at  anchor  three  leagues  and  a  half  from  the  shore 
iu  five  fathoms  water,  the  mouth  of  the  Demarara  river 
hearing  S.  S.  V?.  and  it  being  the  rainy  season,  my  crew 
j^rAMip  water  from  the  sea  for  their  use,  which  was  just 


SHIPWRECK   OP   THE    SLOOP   BETSY.  173 

as  sweet  as  good  river  water.  The  current  occasioned 
by  the  trade  winds,  and  the  numerous  rivers  which  fall 
into  the  sea,  carried  us  at  the  rate  of  four  miles  an  hour, 
towards  the  west  and  north-we&t. 

In  the  evening  of  the  4th  of  August,  I  was  tacking 
about,  between  the  latitude  of  ten  and  twelves  degrees 
north,  with  a  fresh  breeze,  which  obliged  me  to  reef  my 
sails.  At  midnight,  finding  that  the  wind  increased,  in 
proportion  as  the  moon,  then  on  the  wane,  rose  above 
the  horizon,  and  that  my  bark,  which  was  deeply  laden, 
labored  excessively,  I  would  not  retire  to  rest  till  the 
weather  became  more  moderate.  I  told  my  mate,  whose 
name  was  Williams,  to  bring  ine  a  bottle  of  beer,  and 
both  sitting  down,  I  upon  a  hen-coop,  and  Williams  upon 
the  deck,  we  began  to  tell  stories  to  pass  the  time, 
according  to  the  custom  of  mariners  of  every  country. 
The  vessel  suddenly  turned  with  her  broadside  to  wind- 
ward :  I  called  to  one  of  the  seamen  to  put  the  helm 
a  weather,  but  he  replied  it  had  been  so  for  some  time. 
I  directed  n;y  mate  to  see  if  the  cords  were  not  en- 
tangled :  he  informed  me  that  it  was  not.  At  this  mo- 
ment the  vessel  swung  round  with  her  head  to  the  sea, 
and  plunged  ;  her  head  filled  in  such  a  manner  that  she 
could  not  rise  above  the  surf,  which  broke  over  us  to. 
the  height  of  the  anchor  stocks,  and  we  were  presently 
up  to  our  necks  in  water ;  every  thing  in  the  cabin  was 
washed  away.  Some  of  the  crew,  which  consisted  of 
nine  men,  were  drowned  in  their  hammocks,  without  a 
cry  or  groan.  When  the  wave  had  passed,  I  took 
the  hatchet  that  was  hanging  up  near  the  fire-place,  to 
cut  away  the  shrouds  to  prevent  the  ship  from  upset- 
ting, but  in  vain.  She  upset,  and  turned  over  again, 
with  her  masts  and  sails  in  the  water  ;  the  horses  rolled 
one  over  the  other  and  were  drowned,  forming  altogether 
a  most  melancholy  spectacle. 

I  had  but  one  small  boat,  about  twelve  or  thirteen 
feet  long  ;  she  was  fixed,  with  a  cable  coiled  inside  of 
her,  between  the  pump  and  the  side  of  the  ship.  Prov- 
identially for  our  preservation  there  was  no  occasion  to 
]ash  her  last ;  bat  we  at  this  time  entertained  no  hope  of 
seeing  her  again,  as  the  large  cable  within  her,  together 
with  the  weight  of  the  horses,  snd  their  stalls  or- tackle '* 


174  .SHIPWRKCK    OF    THE    SLOOP    BETSY, 

one  among  another,  prevented  her  from  rising  to  the 
surface  of  the  water. 

In  this  dreadful  situation,  holding  by  the  shrouds,  and 
stripping  off  my  clothes,  I  looked  round  me  for  some 
plank  or  empty  box  to  preserve  my  life  as  long  as  it 
should  please  the  Almighty,  when  I  perceived  my  mate 
and  two  seamen  hanging  by  a  rope,  and  imploring  God 
to  receive  their  souls.  I  told  them  that  the  man  who 
was  not  resigned  to  die  when  it  pleased  his  Creator  to 
call  him  out  of  the  world  was  not  lit  to  live.  I  advised 
them  to  undress  as  I  had  done,  and  to  endeavor  to  seize 
the  first  object  that  could  assist  them  in  preserving  their 
lives.  Williams  followed  my  advice,  stripped  himself 
quite  naked,  and  betook  himself  to  swimming,  locking, 
out  for  whatever  he  could  find.  A  moment  afterwards 
he  cried  out : — Here  is  the  boat,  keel  uppermost  !  I  im- 
mediately swam  to  him,  and  found  him  holding  the 
by  the  keel.  We  then  set  to  work  to  turn  her,  but  in 
vain ;  at  length,  however,  Williams,  who  was  the  heav- 
iest and  strongest  of  the  two,  contrived  to  set  his  feet 
against  the  gunwale  of  the  boat,  laying  hold  of  the  keel 
with  his  hands,  and  with  a  violent  effort  nearly  succeed- 
ed in  overturning  her.  I  being  to  windward,  pushed 
and  lifted  her  up  with  my  shoulders  on  the  opposite  side. 
At  length,  with  the  assistance  of  the  surf,  we  turned 
her  over,  but  she  was  full  of  water.  I  got  into  her,  and 
endeavored  by  the  means  of  a  rope  belonging  to  the  rig- 
ging, to  draw  her  to  the  mast  of  the  vessel.  In  the 
intervals  between  the  waves  the  mast  always  rose  fa 
the  height  of  fifteen  or  twenty  feet  above  the  water. 
I  passed  the  end  of  the  rope  fastened  to  the  boat  once 
round  the  head  of  the  mast,  keeping  hold  of  the 
end  ;  each  time  that  the  mast  rose  out  of  water,  it  lifted 
up  both  the  boat  and  me ;  I  then  let  go  the  rope,  and 
by  this  expedient  the  boat  was  three-fourths  emptied ; 
but  having  nothing  to  enable  me  to  disengage  her  from 
rhe  mast  and  shrouds,  they  fell  down  upon  me,  driving 
the  boat  and  me  again  under  water. 

After  repeated  attempts  to  empty  her,  in  which  I  was 
cruelly  wounded  and  bruised,  I  began  to  haul  the  boat, 
filled  with  water,  towards  the  vessel,  by  the  shrouds; 
but  the  bark  had  sunk  by  this  time  to  such  a  depth, 


SHIPWRECK   OF   THE    SLOOP    BETSJf.  175 

that  only  a  small  part  of  her  slern  was  to  be  seen,  upon 
which  my  mate  arid  two  other  seamen  were  holding  ft- 1 
by  a  rope.  I  threw  myself  into  the  water,  with  tlie  rope 
of  the  boat  in  the  mouth,  and  swam  towards  them  to 
give  them  the  end  to  lay  hold  of,  hoping,  by  our  united 
strength ;  that  we  shotftfl  be  able  to  haul  the  boat  over 
the  stern  of  the  vessel ;  we  exerted  our  utmost  efforts, 
and  at  this  moment  I  nearly  had  my  thigh  broken  by  a 
shock  of  tLe  boat,  being  between  her  and  the  ship. 
At  length  we  succeeded  in  hauling  her  over  the  stern, 
but  had  the  misfortune  to  break  a  hole  in  her  bottom  in 
this  manoeuvre.  As  soon  as  my  thigh  was  a  little  recov- 
ered from  the  blow,  I  jumped  into  her  with  one  of  tha 
men,  and  stopped  the  leak  with  a  piece  of  his  coarse 
shirt.  It  was  extremely  fortunate  for  us  that  this  man 
did  not  know  how  to  swim  ;  it  will  soon  be  seen  what 
benefit  we  derived  from  his  ignorance  ;  had  it  not  been 
for  this  we  must  all  have  perished.  Being  unable  to 
swim,  he  had  not  stripped,  and  had  thus  preserved  his 
coarse  shirt,  a  knife  that  was  in  his  pocket,  ar-d  an 
enormous  hat,  in  the  Dutch  fashion.  The  boat  being 
fastened  to  the  ringing,  was  no  sooner  cleared  of  the 
greatest  part  of  the  water  than  a  dog  of  mine  came  ta 
me,  running  along  the  gunwale  ;  I  took  him  in,  thank- 
ing Providence  for  having  thus  sent  provision  for  a  tim$ 
of  necessity.  A  moment  after  the  dog  had  entered,  the 
rope  broke  with  a  jerk  of  the  vessel,  and  I  found  my- 
self drifting  away.  I  called  ray  mate  and  the  other 
man  who  swam  to  me  :  the  former  had  fortunately 
found  a  small  spare  top-mast,  which  served  us  for  a 
rudder.  We  assisted  the  two  others  to  get  into  the  boat, 
and  soon  lost  sight  of  our  ill-fated  bark. 

It  was  then  four  o'clock  in  the  morning,  as  I  judged  by 
the  dawn  of  day,  which  began  to  appear,  so  that  about 
two  hours  had  elapsed  since  we  were  obliged  to  abondoa 
her.  What  prevented  her  from  foundering  sooner  wag 
my  having  taken  on  board  about  150  barrels  of  biscuit, 
as  many  or  more  casks  of  flour,  and  300  firkins  of  but- 
ter, all  which  substances  float  upon  the  water,  and  are 
soaked  through  but  slowly  and  by  degrees.  As  soon  as 
we  were  clear  of  the  wreck,  we  kept  the  boat  before 
tlic  wiiid  as  well  as  we  could,  and  when  it  grew  li^ht  J 


176  SHIPWRECK    OP   THE    SLOOP   BETSY. 

perceived  several  articles  that  had  floated  from  the  ves- 
sel. I  perceive  my  box  of  clothes  and  linen,  which 
had  been  carried  out  of  the  cabin  by  the  violence  of  the 
waves.  I  felt  an  emotion  of  joy.  The  box  contained 
some  bottles  of  orange  and  lime  water,  a  few  pounds 
of  chocolate,  sugar,  &cc.  Reaching  over  the  gunwale 
of  our  boat  we  laid  hold  *>f  the  box,  and  used  every 
effort  to  open  it  on  the  water,  for  we  could  not  think  of 
getting  it  into  the  boat,  being  of  a  size  and  weight  suffi- 
cient to  sink  her,  In  spite  of  all  our  endeavors  we  could 
not  force  open  the  lid;  we  were  obliged  to  leave  it 
behind,  with  all  the  good  things  it  contained,  and  to 
increase  out  distress  we  had  by  this  effort  almost  filled 
our  boat  with  water,  and  had  more  than  once  nearly 
sunk  her. 

We,  however,  had  the  good  fortune  to  pick  up  thir- 
teen onions  ;  we  saw  many  more,  but  were  unable  to 
reach  them.  These  thirteen  onions  and  my  dog,  with- 
out a  single- drop  of  freshwater,  or  any  liquor  whatever, 
were  all  that  we  had  to  subsist  upon.  We  were,  accor- 
ding to  my  computation,  above  fifty  leagues  from  land, 
having  neither  mast,  sails,  nor  oars,  to  direct  us,  nor  any 
kind  of  articles  besides  the  knife  of  the  sailor  who  could 
not  swim,  his  shirt,  a  piece  of  which  we  had  already 
used  to  stop  the  leak  in  our  boat,  and  his  wide  trowsers. 
We  this  day  cut  the  remainder'  of  his  shirt  into  strips, 
which  we  twisted  for  rigging,  and  then  fell  to  work  alter1- 
irately  to  loosen  the  planks  with  which  the  boat  was  lin- 
ed, cutting,  by  dint  of  time  and  patience,  all  round  the 
heads  of  the  nails  that  fastened  them.  Of  these  planks 
we  made  a  kind  of  inast,  which  we  tied  to  the  foremast 
bench  ;  a  piece  of  board  was  substituted  for  a  ynrd,  to 
which -we  fastened  the  two  parts  of  the  trowsers,  which 
served  for  sails,  and  assisted  us  in  keeping  the  boat 
before  the  wind,  steering  with  the  top*m'ast  as  mention- 
ed before; 

As  the  pieces  of  plank  which  we  had  dfctafthfcd  from 
the  inside  of  the  boat  were  too  short,  and  were  not  suf- 
ficient to  go  quite  round  the  edge,  when  the  sea  ran 
very  high,  we  were  obliged,  in  order  to  prevent  the 
waves  from  entering  the  boat,  to  lie  down  several  times 
aioug  the  gunwate  oa  each  side,  with  mir  backs  to  the 


SHIPWRECK  OF  THE   SLOOP   SETST.  177 

water,  and  thus  with  our  bodies  to  repel  the  surf,  while 
the  other,  with  the  Dutch  hat,  was  incessantly  employ- 
ed in  bailing  out  the  water  ;  besides  which  the  boat  con- 
tinued to  make  water  at  the  leak,  which  we  were  unable 
entirely  to  stop. 

It  was  in  this  melancholy  situation,  and  stark  naked, 
that  we  kept  the  boat  before  ihe  wind  as  well  as  we 
could.  The  night  of  te  first  day  f.frer  our  shipwreck 
arrived  before  we  had  well  completed  our  sail;  it 
grew  dark,  and  we  contrived  to  keep  our  boat  running 
before  the  wind,  at  the  rate  of  about  a  league  an  hour. 
The  second  day  was  more  calm  ;  we  each  eat  an  onion, 
Bt  different  times,  and  began  to  feel  thirst.  In  the  night 
of  the  second  day  the  wind  became  violent  and  variable, 
and  sometimes  blowing  from  the  north,  which  caused 
me  great  uneasiness,  being  obliged  to  steer  south,  in 
order  to  keep  the  boat  before  the  wind,  whereas  we 
could  only  hope  to  be  saved  by  proceeding  from  east 
to  west. 

The  third  day  we  began  to  suffer  exceedingly,  not 
only  from  hunger  and  thirst,  but  likewise  from  the  heat 
of  the  sun,  which  scorched  us  in  such  a  manner,  that 
from  the  neck  to  the  feet  our  skin  was  as  red  and  as 
full  ot  blisters  as  if  we  had  been  burned  by  a  fire.  I 
then  seized  my  dog  and  plunged  the  knife  in  his  throat. 
I  cannot  even  now  refrain  from  weeping  at  the  thought 
of  it  ;  but  at  the  moment  I  felt  not  the  least  compassion 
for  him.  We  caught  his  blood  in  the  hat,  receiving  in 
our  hands  and  drinking  what  ran  over  :  we  afterwards 
drank  in  turn  out  of  the  hat,  and  felt  our-selves  refresh- 
ed. The  fourth  day  the  wind  was  extremely  vio- 
lent, and  the  sea  ran  very  high,  so  that  we  were 
more  than  once  on  the  point  of  perishing;  it  was 
on  this  day  in  particular  that  we  were  obliged  to  make 
a  rampart  of  our  bodies  in  order  to  repel  the  waves. 
About  noon  a  ray  of  hope  -.-da wired  upon  us,  but  soon 
vanished; 

We  perceived  a  sloop,  commanded  by  Captain 
Routhey,  which,--  like  my  vessel,  belonged  to  the  island 
of  Barbadoes,  and  was  bound  to  Demerara ;  we  could 
see  the  crew  walking  upon  the  deck,  and  sheuted  to 
f  hem,  but  .wre  neither  seen  nor  heard .  Being  obliged, 


278  SHIPWRECK   OP   THE   SLOOP   BETSY. 

by  the  violence  of  the  gale,  to  keep  our  boat  before  the 
wind,  for  fear  of  foundering,  we  had  passed  her  a  great 
distance  before  she  crossed  us  ;  she  steering  direct  south, 
and  we  bearing  away  to  the  west.  Captain  Southey 
was  one  of  my  particular  friends.  This  disappointment 
so  discouraged  my  two  seaaien  that  they  refused  to 
etidenvor  any  Ioitg<  their  lives.  In  spite  of  all 

I  could  say,  one  of  them  woulfi  do  nothing,  not  even 
bale  out  the  water  which  gained  upon  us  ;  I  had  recourse 
fc>  entreaties  ;  fell  at  his  knees,  l-yit  i:e  remained  unmov- 
ed. My  mate  and  I,  at  length,  prev«''^d  upon  him,  by- 
threatening  to  kill  him  instantly  with  the  ?op-riiast,  which 
we  used  to  steer  by,  and  to  kill  ourselves  afterwards,  to 
put  a  period  to  our  misery.  This  menace  made  some 
impression  on  him,  and  he  resumed  his  employment  of 
bailing  as  before. 

On  this  day  I  set  the  others  the  example  of  eating  a 
piece  of  the  dog  with  some  onions  ;  it  was  with  diffi- 
culty that  I  swallowed  a  few  mouthfuls ;  but  in  an  hour 
I  felt  that  this  morsel  of  food  had  given  me  vigor.  My 
mate,  who  was  of  a  much  stronger  constitution,  eat 
more,  which  gave  me  much  pleasure;  one  of  the  two 
men  likewise  tasted  it,  but  the  other,  whose  name 
was  Comings,  either  would  not  or  could  not  swajlow  a 
morsel. 

The  fifth  day  was  more  calfti,  and  the  sea  much 
smoother.  At  day-break  we  perceived  an  enormous 
shark,  as  large  as  our  boat,  which  followed  us  several 
hours,  as  a  prey  that  was  destined  for  him.  We  also 
found  in  our  boat  a  flying  fish,  which  had  dropped  there 
during  the  night;  we  divided  it  into  four  parts,  which 
we  chewed  to  moisten  our  mouths.  It  was  on  this  day 
that,  when  pressed  with  hunger  and  despair,  my  mate, 
Williams,  had  the  generosity  to  exhort  us  to  cut  off  a 
piece  of  his  thigh  to  refresh  ourselves  with  the  blood, 
and  to  support  life.  In  the  night  we  had  several  show- 
ers, with  some  wind.  We  tried  to  get  some  rain  water 
by  wringing  the  trowsers  which  served  us  for  a  sail,  but 
when  we  caught  it  in  our  mouths  it  proved  to  be  as  salt 
*as  that  of  the  sea  ;  the  trowsers  having  been  so  often 
soake<l  with  sea  water,  that  they,  as  well  as  the  hat, 
were  quite  impregnated  with  salt.  Thus  we  had  no 


SHIPWRECK   OF   THE    6LOOP    BETSY.  179 

other  resource  but  to  open  our  mouths  and  catch  the 
drops  of  rain  upon  our  tongues,  in  order  to  cool  them  : 
afte'r  the  shower  was  over  we  again  fastened  the  trow- 
sers  to  the  mast. 

On  the  sixth  day  the  two  seamen,  notwithstanding  all 
my  remonstrances,  drank  sea-water  which  purged  them  so 
excessively  that  th^y  fell  into  a  kind  of  delirium,  and 
were  of  no  more  service  to  Williams  and  me.  Both  he 
and  I  kept  a  nail  in  our  mouths,  and  often  sprink- 
led our  heads  with  water  to  cool  them.  I  perceived 
myself  the  better  for  these  ablutions,  and  that  my  head 
was  more  easy.  We  tried  several  times  to  eat  of  the 
dog's  flesh,  with  a  morsel  of  onion  ;  but  I  thought 
myself  fortunate  if  I  could  get  down  three  or  four 
mouthfuls.  My  mate  always  eat  rather  more  than  I 
could. 

The  seventh  day  was  fine,  with  a  moderate  -  breeze, 
and  the  sea  perfectly  calm.  About  noon  the  two  men 
who  had  drank  sea  water  grew  so  weak  that  they  began 
to  talk  wildly,  like  people  who  are  light-headed,  not 
knowing  any  longer  whether  they  was  at  sea  or  on  shore. 
My  mate  and  I  were  so  weak  too  that  wre  could  scarcely 
stand  on  our  legs,  or  steer  the  boat  in  our  turns,  or  bale 
the  water  from  the  boat,  which  made  a  great  deal  at 
the  leak. 

In  the  morning  of  the  eighth  day  John  Comings  died, 
and  three  hours  afterwards  George  Simpson  likewise 
expired.  The  same  evening,  at  sun-set,  we  had  the 
inexpressible  satisfaction  of  discovering  the  high  lands 
on  the  west  point  of  the  island  of  Tobago.  Hope  gave 
us  strength.  We  kept  the  head  of  the  boat  towards 
the  land  all  night,  with  a  light  breeze  and  a  current, 
which  was  in  our  favor.  Williams  and  I  were  that  night 
in  an  extraordinary  situation,  our  two  comrades  lying 
dead  before  us,  with  the  land  in  sight,  having  very  little 
wind  to  approach  it,  and  being  assisted  only  by  the  cur- 
rent, which  drove  strongly  to  the  westard.  In  the 
morning  we  were  not,  according  to  iny  computation, 
more  than  five  or  six  leagues  from  the  land.  That  hap- 
py day  was  the  last  of  our  sufferings  at  sea.  We  kepi 
steering  the  boat  the  whole  day  towards  the  shore,  though 
we  were  no  longer  able  to- stand.  In  the  evening  the 


180  SHIPWRECK   OF   THE    SLOOP   BETSY. 

wind  lulled,  and  it  fell  calm  ;  but  about  two  o'clock  in 
the  moroing  the  cm-rent  cast  us  on  the  beach  of  the  isl- 
and of  Tobago,  at  the  foot  of  a- high  shore,  between 
little  Tobago  and  Man  of  War  Bay  which  is  the  eastern* 
most  .part  of  the  island.  The  boat  soon  bulged  with 
the  shock ;  iny  unfortunate  companion  and  1  crawled 
to  the  shore,  leaving  the  bodies'  of  our  two .  comrades  in 
the  boat,  and  the  remainder  of  the  dog,  « which  was 
quite  putrid. 

We  clambered,  as  well  as  we  could,  on  all  fours,  along 
the  high  coast,  which  rose  almost  perpendicularly  to  the 
height  of  three  or  four  hundred  feet.  A  great  quantity 
of  leaves  had  dropped  down  to  the  place  where  we  were, 
from  the  numerous -trees  over  our  heads;  these  we 
collected,  and  lay  down  .upon  them  to- wait  for  day- light ; 
When  it  began  to  dawn  we  sought  about  for  water,  and 
found  some  in  the  holes  .of  the  rocks,  but  it  was  brack- 
ish, and  not  fit  to  drink.  We  perceived  on  the  rocks 
around  us  .several  kinds  of  shellfish,  some  of  -which  we 
broke  open  with  a  stone,  .and  chewed  them  to  -moisten 
our  mouths. 

Between  eight  and  nine  o'clock  we  were  perceived  by 
a  young  Caraib,  who  was  some  limes  v.-alking  and  at 
others  swimming  towards  the  boat.  As  soon  as  he  had 
reached  it  he  called  his  companions  with  loud  shouts, 
making  signs  of  the  greatest  compassion.  His  comrades 
instantly  followed  him,  and.swain  towards  us,  having 
perceived  us  almost  at  the  same  time. 

The  oldest,  who  was  about  sixty,  approached  us  with 
the  two.  youngest,  whom  we  afterwards  found  to  be  his 
son  nnd  son-in-law.  At  the  sight  of  us  the  tears  flowed 
from  their  eyes  :  I  endeavored  by  words  and  signs  to 
make  them  comprehend  that  we  had  been  nine  days  at 
sea,  in  want  of  every  thing.  They  understood  a  few 
French  words,  and  signified  that  they  would  fetch  a  boat 
to  convey  us  to  their  hut.  The  old  man  took  a  hand- 
kerchief from  his  head  and  tied  it  round  mine,  and  one  of 
the  young  Caraibs  gave  Williams  his  straw  hut ;  the  other 
swam  round  the  projecting  rock  and  brought  us  a  calebasb 
cf  fresh  water,  somo  cakes  of  cassava,  and  a  piece  of 
broiled  fish,  but  we  could  not  cat.  The  two  others 
fie  two  corpses  out  of  the  boaf,  and  bJd  them  unon  the 


SHIPWRECK    OF   THE   SLOOP    BETSY.  It  I 

Feck,  after  which  all  three  of  them  hauled  the  boat  out  of 
the  water.  They  then  left  us,  with  marks  of  the  utmost 
compassion,  and  went  to  fetch  their  canoe. 

About  noon  they  returned  in  their  canoe,  to  the  num- 
ber of  six,  and  brought  with  them,  in  an  earthari  pot, 
some  soup  which  we  thought  delicious.  We  took  a  lit- 
tle, but  my  stomach  was  so  weak  that  I  immediately  cast 
it  up  again.  Williams  did  not  vomit  at  all.  In  less  than 
two  hours  we  arrived  at  Man  of  War  Bay,  where  the  huts 
of  the  Caraibs  were  situated.  They  had  only  one  ham- 
mock, in  which  they  laid  me,  and  the  woman  made  us  a 
very  agreeable  mess  of  herbs  and  broth,,of  quatracas  and 
pidgeons.  They  bathed  my  wounds,  which  were  full  of 
worms,  with  a  decoction  of  tobacco  and  other  plants. 
Every  morning  the  man  lifted  me  out  of  the  hammock, 
and  carried  me  in  his  arms  beneath  a  lemon  tree,  where 
he  covered  me  with  plantain  leaves  to  screen  rne  from, 
the  sun.  There  they  anointed  our  bodies  with  a  kind 
of  oil  to  cure  the  blisters  raied  by  the  sun.  Our  com- 
passionate hosts  even  had  the  generosity  to  give  each 
of  us  a  shirt,  and  a  pair  of  trowsers,  which  they  had 
procured  from  the  ships  that  came  from  time  to  time  to 
trade  with  them  for  turtles  and  tortoise  shell. 

After  they  had  cleansed  my  wounds  of  the  vermin, 
they  kept  rne  with  my  legs  suspended  in  the  air,  ami 
anointed  them  morning  and  evening  with  an  oil  extract- 
ed from  the  tail  of  a  small  crab,  resembling  what  tiie 
English  call  the  soldier-crab,  because  its  shell  is  red. 
They  take  a  certain  quantity  of  these  crabs,  bruise  the 
ends  of  their  tails,  and  put  them  to  digest  in  a  large 
shell  upon  the  fire.  It  was  wilh  this  ointment  that  they 
healed  my  wounds,  covering  them  with  nothing  but 
plantain  leaves. 

vThanks  to  the  nourishing  food  procured  us  by  the 
Caraibs,  and  their  humane  attention,  I  was  able,  in  about 
three  weeks,  to  support  myself  upon  crutches,  like  a 
person  recovering  from  a  severe  illness.  The  natives 
flocked  from  all  parts  of  the  island  to  see  us,  and  never 
came  empty  handed;  sometimes  bringing  eggs,  and  at 
others  fowls,  which  were  given  with  pleasure,  and  accept- 
ed with  gratitude.  We  even  had  visitors  from  the  island 
of  Tiioidsd,  I  cut  my  name  with  ft  knife  u?>oa  several 

Q 


ic-Z  SHIPWRECK    OF   THE    SLOOP    BETSY. 

boards,   and  gave  them  to    different  Caraibs,  to  shew 
them  to  any  ships  which   chance  might  conduct  to  t lie 
coast.       We  almost  despaired    of    seeing    ?.ny    arrive, 
when  a  sloop  from  Oronoko,  laden  with  ran  Irs  and  bound 
to   St.  Pierre,  mjhfc    island  of  Mariinique,  touch* 
the  sandy  poinfon  the  west  side  of  Tobago.     The  Indi- 
ans shewed  the  crew  a  plank  upon  which  my  name  was 
carved,  and  acquainted  them  wi«'h  our  situation.     Upon 
the  arrival  of  this  vessel  at  St.   Pierre,  those  on  !/ 
related  the  circumstance.      Several  its  of    my 

acquaintance,  who  traded  tindei-  Dutch  colours,  happen- 
ed to  be  there  ;  they  transmitted  the  infor;  o  my 
owners,  Messrs.   Roscoe    and  Nyles,  who  instantly 
patched  a  small  vessel  in  quest  of  us.     After  living  about 
nine  weeks  with  this  benevolent  and  charitable  tn 
savages,  I  embarked  and  left  them,  when  my  regret  was 
equal  to  the  joy  and  surprise  1  had  experienced  at  meet- 
ing with  them. 

When  we  were  ready  to  depart  they  furnished  us  with 
an    abundant    supply    of   bannanas,  figs,    yai 
fish,  and  fruits  ;  particularly  oranges  and  1<  [  had 

nothing   to   give  tin  n    ackno\.  \  t  of  their 

generous  treatment  Inii  my  boat,  ^ 
and  used  for  o 

being  larger  than  their  <  -  j.nrh  more  fit  for 

that    purpose.      Of    this   I    made    thei,;    a   prf^f-nf,  and 
would  have  given  them   my  blood.     My  friend,  Captain 
Young,  assisted  me  to  remunerate  my  i,i>nefartors.     He 
gave  me  all  the  rum  he  had  wit!)  him,  being  about  .-• 
or  eight  bottles,  which  I  iikr\v>»?    j>    -"n(ed    to   i 
He  also  gave  them  several  shirts   and  trows ers,  a 
hnives,  fish-hooks,  sail-riuth  for  the  ijoat,  with  ne 
and  ropes. 

At  length,  after  two   dayo  spent  in   preparation^ 
our   departure,  we  we'  Tfity 

tame  down  to  the  beach  to  the  number  of  about  thirty, 
men,  women,  and  children,  and  ail  appeared  t- 
uncerest  sorrow,  especially  the  old  man,  w  ho  had  acted 
like  a  father  to  me.  When  the  vr  sel  left  the  bay,  the 
tears  flowed  from  our  « yes,  which  sUN  cdtttfnued  fixed 
upon  them.  They  remained  &taH(ling  in  a  line  upon  the 
shore  till  they  loist  siglit  of  «?.  As  ail  about 


SHIPWRECK   OF   THE    SLOOP^ETSY. 

ntne  o'clock  in  the  morning;,  steering  north-east,  and  ns 
Man  of  War  Bay  is  situated  at  the  north-east  point  of 
the  island,  we  were  a  long  time  in  sicht  of  each  other. 
I  still  recollect  the  moment  when  trtey  disappeared  from. 
my  sight,  and  the  profound  regret  which  filled  my 
heart.  I  feared  that  I  should  never  a^ain  be  so  happy 
had  been  B  !,em.  1  love  them,  and  will  cun- 

tinue  to  love,  my  dear  Caraibs  as  long  as  1  live  ;  I  would 
Hieil  my  blood  for  (he  first  of  tho>e  benevolent  sav 
that  r  id  in  need  of  my  assistance,  if  chance  >li« 

iu-inu;  one  of  them  to  Europe,  or  my  destiny  *\>, 
again  conduct  me  to  tliii:  i-! 

In  t  arrived  at  l>ai'  I  continue. 

have  H  l)i«-!i  rbet 

i),  and  \\a.>  not  yet  able  to  go  without  crutches. 
V Y  received   ;Vom  , 

(,    and  the    IN  -ion  ; 

the    L  B     unbounded. 

The  e  ,  the  author  of  a  treatise  on 

me, 
with  Dr.     Lilih  M'ii.     They  ;.  d  »;i'i«-u-  remedies, 

r*<hh    \\'il!"  i 

unab!  <k  without'  , -st  difficulty,     \\illiams 

remained  at  V.  .  but  I,  being  more  aiVected,  and 

•  I  tn  return  to    Run  tie.      In   c 
pliaru  ;hcir  advice  I  went  to  London,  where  I 

• 
and  the    i 

me  all  tl:  power  of  their 

1  !/  any   relief.      At 

:er  I  had  been  k  in   London,  Dr. 

turn  from   Bath,  heard  my 

me,  and   with   his 

torned  humanity  promised  to  undertake  my  cure, 
/  acknov.  i  !iat  it 

would  be  both  tedious  and  expensive.     I   replied,  tbat 
inhabitants  of  Karhadoes  nad  ren- 
!  me  easy  on  that  head,  intreatin^  him  to  prescribe 
for  me,  and  thanking  him  for  his  obliging  offers. 

As  he  had  practiced  i  e  at  Aleppo,    he 

had  there  seen  gn  .  . •  iih  the  same 

malady  as  myself,  produced  by  long  thirst  in  t, 


284  SHIPWRECK    OF   THE    StOOP   BETSY. 

the  deserts  of  Africa.  He  ordered  me  to  leave  town  to 
enjoy  a  more  wholesome  air.  I  took  a  lodging  at  Honv 
erton,  near  Hackney ;  there  he  ordered  me  to  be  bathed 
every  morning,  confining  me  to  asses  milk  as  my  only 
food,  excepting  a  few  new  laid  eggs,  together  with  mode- 
rate exercise,  and  a  ride  on  horseback  every  day.  Af- 
ter about  a  month  of  this  regimen  he  orderad  a  goat  to 
be  brought  every  morning  to  my  bedside  ;  about  five 
o'clock  I  drank  a  glass  of  her  milk,  quite  hot,  and  slep 
upon  it.  He  then  allowed  me  to  take  some  light  chicken 
broth,  with  a  morsel  of  the  wing.  By  means  of  this 
diet  my  malady  was  in  great  degree  removed  in  the  space 
of  about  five  months,  and  I  was  in  a  state  to  resume 
any  occupation  I  pleased  ;  but  my  constitution  has  ever 
since  been  extremely  delicate,  and  my  stomach  in  par- 
ticular very  weak, 


185 


THE    SHIPWRECK   OF 

A  PORTUGUESE  VESSEL, 

With  Emmanuel  Sosa  and his  Wife  Eleonora  Garcia  Sata, 
ON  THE  EAST  COAST  OF  AFRICA,  IN  1553, 


E, 


MMANUEL  SOSA,  DE  SEPULVEDA,  descended 
from  one  of  the  most  ancient  and  distinguished  families 
of  Portugal,  obtained  great  reputation  in  the  Indies  by 
his  courage  and  talents.  About  the  middle  of  the  six- 
teenth century,  he  obtained  the  government  of  the  cita- 
del of  Diu,  a  post  given  only  to  officeis  of  merit  and 
tried  valor.  This  situation  he  held  several  years,  till 
conceiving  an  irresistable  desire  to  revisit  his  native  land, 
he  embarked  at  the  port  of  Cochin.  The  vessel  in  which 
he  sailed,  had  on  board  the  wealth  lie  had  amassed,  to^ 
gether  with  the  property  of  the  officers  and  passengers 
who  occompanied  him.  Sosa  likewise  took  v\ith  him 
Ins  wife,  Eleonora  Garcia,  the  daughter  of  Sala,  at  that 
time  general  of  the  Portuguese  in  the  Indies ;  his  chil- 
dren; his  brother-in-law  Pantaleon  Sala;  together  with 
several  officers  and  gentlemen.  The  number  of  sailorsr. 
servants,  and  slaves,  was  very  great ;  the  whole  of  the 
crew  and  passengers  amounting  to  about  six  hundred 
persons. 

An  acquaintance  with  the  sea  and  winds  has  proved" 
that  the  month  of  January  is  the  most  favorable  season 
for  the  passage  from  India  to  Europe.  Sala  stopped  to 
make  some  purchases  at  Coulan,  by  which  he  was  de- 
tained till  February.  On  the  13th  of  April,  they  discov- 
ered the  eoast  of  Caffrariaj  from  thence  they  proceeded, 
without  accident,  to  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  when  a 
north  wind  that,  arose,  produced  the  most  tremendous  hur- 


186  THE    SHIPWRECK   OF 

ricane  that  had  ever  been  experienced  in  those  seas. 
The  sky  was  suddenly  overcast,  the  waves  rising  to  the 
clouds,  threatened  every  moment  to  ingulph  the  vessel  ; 
the  darkness  was  interrupted  only  by  the  lightning's  blaze 
and  the  pealing  thunder,  which  struck  terror  into  the 
hearts  of  the  most  resolute.  The  pilot  and  sailors  de- 
liberated whether  they  should  strike  the  yards  and  wait 
at  sea  till  the  tempest  was  over ;  but  being  terrified  by 
its  continuing  with  redoubled  fury,  and  deprived  of  ail 
hope  of  being  able  to  double  the  Cape,  on  account  of  the 
season,  they  unanimously  agreed  to  steer  their  course 
back  to  India.  In  this  design,  they  were  not  more  fortu- 
nate than  in  the  other,  and  the  unrelenting  winds  seemed 
to  have  conspired  the  destruction  of  the  wretched  vessel, 
which  was  already  considerably  injured ;  in  vain  the  pi- 
lot and  sailors  employed  their  utmost  efforts  to  save  her 
from  their  fury.  The  sides  were  so  rudely  shaken  by 
the  waves,  that  at  length  the  planks  gave  way,  aad  the 
ship  made  more  water  than  the  pumps  were  able  to  dis- 
charge. The  goods  were  thrown  overboard  to  lighten 
the  vessel,  but  this  measure  did  not  lessen  the  danger. 
Their  condition  was  hopeless,  and  every  wave  threatened 
them  with  inevitable  destruction ;  but  after  the  tempest 
had  continued  several  days,  without  intermission,  a  south 
wind  decided  their  fate,  and  drove  the  ship  aground, 
which  was  the  least  misfortune  that  could  happen  to, 
them. 

The  anchor  was  immediately  thrown  out,  and  the 
boats,  which  were  their  last  resource,  were  hoisted  over- 
board. Sosa,  his  wife,  and  chiklren,  and  the  principal 
persons  of  his  suite,  snatching  up  in  haste  their  most 
valuable  effects,  threw  themselves  into  the  boats.  New 
dangers  attended  them;  the  waves,  impelled  by  the 
force  of  the  wind,  dashed  against  the  shore  and  formed 
mountains,  that  appeared  ready  to  overwhelm  their  fee- 
fele  bark.  At  length,  after  much  difficulty  and  danger, 
they  reached  the  shore.  AH  coultl  not  effect  their  es- 
cape in  the  boats,  for  after  the  second  or  third  voyage, 
they  were  dashed  to  pieces  upon  hidden  rocks ;  at  the 
same  time  the  cable  parted,  and  those  who  remained  in 
the  vessel,  had  no  other  method  of  saving  their  lives  than 
to  throw  themselves  overboard  and  endeavor  to  gajn,  tl^ 


A  PORTUGUESE   VESSEL.  187 

shore.  Some  seized  hold  of  casks,  or  boxes,  while 
others'  trusted  to  their  strength  and  expertness  in  swim- 
ming. Very  few,  however,  were  so  fortunate  as  to  ar- 
rive without  accident,  and  by  this  disaster  three  hundred 
men,  Portuguese  and  foreigners,  lost  their  lives.  Those 
who  escaped,  had  scarcely  reached  the  shore  when  the 
vessel  foundered.  This  Joss  .overwhelmed  the  Portu- 
guese with  despair ;  from  the  fragments  of  the  ship  they 
might  have  constructed  a  brigantine,  and  have  gone  to 
seek  some  relief  at  Sofala  and  Mozambique ;  but  from 
this  hope  they  were  now  completely  cut  off. 

The  country  on  which  they  were  wrecked  was  in  the 
latitude  of  31  deg.  south.  Sosa  directed  large  fires  to  be 
made,  in  order  to  dry  and  warm  his  people,  who  suffer- 
ed exceedingly  from  cold,  hunger,  and  their  wounds. 
He  distributed  among  them,  with  the  greatest  economy, 
a  small  quantity  oi  flour  picked  up  from  the  wreck,  but 
half  spoiled  by  the  salt  water.  Their  situation  was  dread- 
ful. The  shore  presented  to  their  view  nothing  but  de- 
sert sands  and  arid  rocks.  After  a  long  search  they  dis- 
covered some  springs  of  fresh  water,  which  were  ex- 
tremely serviceable,  and  then  began  to  form  an  entrench- 
ment of  boxes  and  large  stones  that  they  might  pass  the 
night  in  safety.  Sosa,  on  this  occasion,  forgot  none  of 
the  duties  of  a  good  citizen  and  a  benevolent  master. 
Here  he  remained  with  his  people  till  they  had  recovered 
from  the  fatigues  of  the  sea,  and  as  long  as  he  entertain- 
ed any  hope  of  being  able  to  subsist  upon  the  provisions 
thrown  on  shore  from  the  vessel.  It  became  necessary, 
however,  to  think  of  removing,  and  they  deliberated  upon 
the  course  that  ought  to  be  pursued :  all  were  in  favor 
of  proceeding  along  the  coast  till  they  found  the  river  to 
which  Marchesez  had  given  the  name  of  Santo  Spiritu, 
and  where  the  Portuguese  of  Sofala  and  Mozambique 
carried  on  a  considerable  traffic. 

That  ilrer  was  about  one  hundred  and  eighty  leagues 
distant  from  their  post.  Sosa,  after  adopting  the  resolu- 
tion, encouraged  his  troop,  and  exhorted  ihem,  by  his 
words  and  example,  not  to  lose  their  courage.  "  Before 
a  person  exposes  himself,'3  said  he,  "  to  the  dangers  of 
the  sea  he  ought  to  be  resolvecj  to  bear  thirst,  hunger, 
hardships,  and  inconvenience  of  every  kin'L  Far  f^orn 


188'-  THE    SHIPWPvECK   OF 

being  dejected  at  their  approach,  he  ought  to  meet  tLeL^ 
as  if  he  had  expected  them,  and  substitute  those  transient 
evils,  instead  of  the  eternal  misery  due  to  the  crimes  he 
has  committed.  In  our  present  misfortune,  (added  he,) 
we  ought  less  to  consider  what  we  have  lost  than  what 
we  have  saved ;  the  loss  of  our  property  is  a  small  object 
when  compared  with  the  preservation  of  our  lives.  I  can 
give  you  no  better  advice  than  to  resign  all  private  claims, 
and  relinquish  all  personal  and  individual  interest  in  fs.- 
yor  of  the  public  welfare.  If  we  are  split  into  parties  we 
can  never  be  secure,  but  while  united  we  have  nothing  to 
fear."  He  concluded  with  a  prayer,  extorted  by  love, 
in  behalf  of  his  wife  and  children,  and  intreated  his  com* 
panions  in  misfortune  to  pay  some  respect  on  (he  way, 
to  the  sex  of  the  one  and  the  age  of  the  others.  All  re- 
plied, it  was  but  just  that  the  strongest  and  most  robust 
should  assist  the  weakest,  that  he  might  lead  them 
wherever  he  pleased,  and  that  they  would  never  with- 
draw themselves  from  his  command* 

They  immediately  set  off.  This  caravan  was  com- 
posed of  Sosa,  his  wife  Eleonora,  a  woman  of  a  masculine 
courage,  their  children,  as  yet  too  young  to  know  the  dan- 
gers of  their  situation,  Andrew  Vasez,  the  master  of  the 
vessel,  and  eighty  Portuguese.  This  first  troop  was  fol- 
lowed by  about  one  hundred  servants,  who  alternately 
carried  the  children  on  their  backs,  and  their  mistress  on 
a  rude  kind  of  chair.  These  were  succeeded  by  the 
sailors,  and  the  female  servants ;  and  Pantaleon,  with  a 
number  of  Portuguese  and  slaves,  closed  the  rear. 

After  proceeding  several  days  through  a  very  danger- 
ous country,  they  were  stopped  by  inaccessible  rocks, 
and  torrents,  swelled  by  the  rains, that  had  recently  fallen. 
By  endeavoring  to  discover  the  easiest  roads,  they  had 
made  a  circuit  of  above  one  hundred  leagues,  while  they 
would  have  had  to  go  but  thirty  if  they  had  kept  along 
the  sea-coast.  Their  provisions  were  soon  consumed, 
and  they  were  obliged  to  live  upon  apples  and  wild  fruits, 
and  even  upon  certain  herbs,,  of  which  the  animals  of 
that  country  are  very  fond. 

After  a  progress  of  four  months  they  at  length  arrived 
at  the  river  Santo  Spiritu,  but  without  recognizing  it,  for 
&e  country  is  traversed  by  three  different  branches, 


A   PORTUGUESE    VESSEL.  180 

which  unite  before  they  discharge  themselves  into  the 
sea. 

Their  doubts  were  removed  by  the  king  of  the  district, 
who  was  the  more  favorably  disposed  towards  the  Por- 
tuguese, because  he  had,  some  time  before,  traded 
peaceably  with  Lorenzo  Marchesez  and  Antonio  Calde- 
ra.  That  prince  gave  a  kind  reception  to  Sosa  and  his 
people,  and  informed  (hem,  that  the  king  of  the  country 
contiguous  to  his  dominions  was  a  crafty  and  rapacious 
inai;,  of  whom  they  ought  to  beware.  The  desire  of 
speedily  reaching  some  place  inhabited  by  Europeans, 
rendered  them  blind  to  the  misfortunes  that  were  pre- 
dicted ;  but  they  soon  had  reason  to  repent  having  pass- 
ed the  second  arm  of  the  river. 

The  following  day  they  perceived  two  hundred  Caf- 
frees  coming  towards  them.  Though  exhausted  with 
hardships  and  fatigue  they  prepared  (heir  arms  and  put 
themselves  in  a  posture  of  defence  ;  but  seeing  that  the 
Caffrees  approached  them  peaceably,  and  rather  showed 
a  desire  of  forming  an  acquaintance  with  them  than  of 
doing  them  any  injury,  their  fears  were  dissipated,  and 
they  endeavored  to  obtain  provisions,  either  for  money 
or  in  exchange  for  implements  of  iron,  which  those  peo- 
ple highly  value.  A  mutual  confidence  appeared  to  be 
established,  and  the  wants  of  the  Portuguese  encouraged 
their  good  opinion  of  the  natives,  but  the  opportunity  of 
stripping  the  strangers  of  all  they  possessed  was  too  favor- 
able for  the  barbarians  to  be  neglected.  In  order  (o  ac- 
complish their  design  with  the  greater  facility,  (hey  gave 
the  Portuguese  to  understand,  that  if  they  would  proceed 
to  the  habitation  of  their  king,  they  would  experience  a 
gracious  reception.  Their  excessive  weariness,  their  joy 
at  having  found  the  river  they  were  in  search  of,  and  a 
still  more  powerful  motive,  the  want  of  provisions,  in- 
duced them  to  embrace  the  proposal  of  the  CalFrees, 
They  foilovved  them  towards  the  habitation  of  their  chief; 
but  the  latter  directed  them  to  stop  on  the  way,  in  a  place 
shaded  by  trees.  Here  they  remained  several  days,  during 
which  they  purchased  various  kinds  of  coarse  provisions 
with  the  effects  they  had  saved  from  the  wreck.  Deceiv- 
ed by  the  air  of  sincerity  of  those  people,  3osa  conceived 
itoat  he  might  wait  at  tkis  place  for  the  arrival  of  some 


19Q  THE    SHIPWRECK    OF 

merchants  from  Sofala,  and  demanded  permission  of  the 
king  to  erect  huts  for  himself,  his  wife,  and  all  his  people, 
whose  number  had  been  much  diminished  by  the  fatigues 
of  their  long  peregrination. 

The  king,  with  more  artifice  than  he  could  be  suspect- 
ed of,  told  Sosa,  that  two  circumstances  retarded  the  fa- 
vorable reception  which  he  wished  to  give  them ;  the 
first  was  the  clearness  and  scarcity  of  provisions  ;  and  the 
second,  the  fear  which  his  subjects  entertained  of  the 
svTords  and  lire-arms  of  the  Portuguese;  that  if  these 
were  sent  to  him  as  a  pledge  of  their  peaceable  and 
tranquil  disposition,  he  would  agree  to  their  request. 

The  hope  of  arriving  at  the  end  of  their  hardships  in- 
duced the  Portuguese  to  comply  with  these  conditions, 
to  which  prudence  ought  to  have  dictated  a  refusal.  In 
vain  Eleonora  reminded  Sosa  of  the  unfavorable  account 
given  of  this  sovereign  by  the  other  king;  deaf  to  the  in- 
treaties  and  admonitions  of  his  wife  he  accepted,  with  fa- 
tal credulity,  the  subtile  offers  of  this  prince.  The  rest 
of  the  troop  followed  their  captain's  example,  and  the 
arms  were  delivered  to  the  perfidious  monarch.  They, 
however,  soon  repented  of  this  step,  for  the  Caffrees  im- 
mediately seized  upon  the  treasures  they  had  brought 
with  them  with  such  fatigue,  and  stripped  them  of  all  their 
clothes.  Those  who  attempted  to  make  any  resistance 
were  massacred  without  mercy  by  the  unrelenting  bar- 
barians. 

Eleonora  alone  resisted  with  courage  •,  but  of  what 
avail  are  the  efforts  of  a  female  against  men  of  a  dispo- 
sition so  ferocious  !  They  stripped  her  likewise  of  all 
her  clothes.  Ashamed  to  be  exposed  starfe  naked  to  the 
view  of  those  wretches,  and  of  her  own  servants,  she 
threw  herself  into  a  ditch  a  few  paces  distant,  and  buri- 
ed herself,  as  it  were,  in J  the  sand,  resolving  not 
to  leave  that  situation.  Overwhelmed  with  fatigue 
and  chagrin  she  couM  not  forbear  saying  to  Andrew 
Vasez,  and  others  of  'trie  Portuguese  who  would  not 
leave  her :"  Therei  my  friends,  you  see  the  conse- 
quence of  your  silly  confidence.  Go  :  I  want  nothing 
more  ;  think  oVily  of  yourselves" ;  and  should  heaven 
permit  you  to  ><>>•  native  land,  tell  those  who  in- 

quire after  the  unfortunate  Eleonora  and  her  husband, 


A  PORTUGUESE   VESSEL.  191 

that  our  sins  have  drawn  upon  us  the  indignation  of 
heaven,  and  have  precipitated  us  into  this  abyss  of  mis- 
ery.3' Here  sighs  choaked  her  utterence,  but  she  cast 
a  leader  look  at  her  children  and  her  husband.  The 
latter,  overcome  with  grief  for  his  imprudence,  and  its 
fatal  consequences,  remained  motionless.  The  Caffres 
had,  by  this  time,  retired  with  all  their  booty ;  his  com- 
panions had  dispersed  to  avoid  the  fate  that  impended 
over  them,  and  not  one  was  to  be  seen.  At  length  the 
sentiments  of  tenderness  were  again  excited  in  his  breast, 
and  he  ran  about,  in  every  direction,  in  quest  of  fruit,, 
of  any  kind,  by  which  he  might  prolong  the  existence 
of  his  wife  and  his  wretched  infants.  But  naked  and 
unarmed  Sosa  was  unable  to  find  any  thing  in  a  country 
ravaged  by  barbarians  and  burned  up  by  the  sun.  He 
frequently  returned  exhausted  with  fatigue,  and  the  last 
time  he  returned  he  found  that  his  wife  and  children 
had  expired  with  hunger  and  thirst.  He  had  sufficient 
strength  to  perform  the  rites  of  interment,  after  wrhich, 
fleeing  from  this  scene  of  horror,  he  roved  about  in  the 
deserts,  where,  doubtless  he  died,  as  he  was  never 
heard  of  afterwards. 

Such  was  the  fatal  issue  of  Sosa^s  voyage  in  the  year 
1553.  The  miserable  remains  of  this  troop,  reduced  in 
number  to  twenty-six  persons,  by  the  fatigues  and  mise- 
ries they  endured,  wandered  about  a  long  time,  and 
were,  at  length,  treated  as  slaves.  They  would  all 
have  finished  their  career  in.this  state  of  hardship  had 
humiliation  had  not  a  Portuguese  merchant,  who  repaired 
from  Mozambique  to  this  part  of  the  country  to  purchase 
Ivory,  ransomed  them  for  four  piastres  a  piece.  Of 
leon  Sala  was  one  ;  he  died  at  Lisbon  of  an  these  Panta- 
apoplexy,  at  a  very  advanced  age. 

The  disaster  of  Sosa  excited  great  compassion  among 
his  countrymen,  but  did  not  correct  their  imprudence. 
The  fol lowing  year  five  more  vessels  sailed  from  the 
port  of  Cochin  for  Portugal,  under  the  command  of 
Fernaml  Alvarez  Capral.  Only  one  of  these  ships  arri- 
ved at  Lisbon,  after  encountering  a  thousand  dangers. 
It  is  not  'known  what  became  of  any  cf  the  others,  ex- 
cepting tire  St.  Benedict,  which  was  so  deeply  laden 
that  the  sailors  could  scarcely  work  her.  A  violent 


192  THE    SHIPWRECK   OF,   &C. 

tempest  overtook  her  in  the  middle  of  her  course,  nea? 
the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  ;  a  gale  of  wind  drove  her 
ashore  and  destroyed  her  on  the  desert  coast  called 
Natal.  Two  hundred  men,  who  endeavored  to  save 
themselves  by  swimming,  perished  on  this  occasion. 

Mesquita  Perestrella,  who  survived  this  disaster,  and 
has  left  a  very  accurate  account  of  it,  exaggerates  the 
terrors  which  his  companions  underwent  by  the  appari- 
tion of  demons  in  the  air,  and  the  noise  of  the  wandering 
spirits  of  the  sailors,  which  he  declares  that  he  both  saw 
and  heard.  The  unfortunate  wretches  who  escaped  from 
the  wreck  experienced  the  same  hardships  as  Sosa  and 
his  company ;  for  having  pursued  almost  the  same  course, 
they  had  to  endure  the  greatest  extremity  of  hunger  and 
thirst.  In  short,  from  three  hundred  they  were  reduced 
in  number  to  twenty-three,  who,  half  dead  with  famine 
and  fatigue,  were  at  length  made  slaves.  A  few  months 
afterwards  some  merchants,  who  visited  that  part  of  the 
country  for  the  purpose  of  trade,  ransomed  and  conveyed 
them  to  Sofala  and  Mozambique,  where  they  arrived  af- 
ter suffering  almost  iacredible  misery. 


193 


KARRATIVB    OF   THE 

LOSS  OF  THE  BRIG  TYRREL, 
CAPTAIN  ARTHUR  COCHLAN  : 

Which  new  overset  in  a  Gale  of  Wind  on  for  Passage. 

from  New-York  to  Antigua,  communicated 

by  T.  Purnell,   the  Chief  Mate. 


JLN  addition  to  the  many  dreadful  shipwrecks 
already  narrated,  the  following,  which  is  a  circumstan- 
tial account  given  by  T.  Purnell,  chief  mate  of  the 
brig  Tyrrel,  Arthur  Cochlan,  commander,  and  the  only 
person  among  the  whole  crew  who  had  the  good  fortuue 
to  escape,  claims  our  particular  attention. 

On  Saturday,  June  28th,  J759,  they  sailed  from 
New-York  to  Sandy  Hook,  and  there  came  to  an  an- 
chor, waiting  for  the  captain's  coming  down  with  a  new 
boat,  and  some  other  articles.  Accordingly  he  came 
on  board  early  the  succeeding  morning,  and  the  boat 
cleared,  hoisted  in,  stowed  and  lashed.  At  eight 
o'clock,  A.  M.  they  weighed  anchor,  sailed  out  of 
Sandy  Hook,  and  the  same  day  at  noon,  took  their 
departure  from  the  High  Land  Never  Sunk,  and  proceed- 
ed on  their  passage  to  Antigua.  As  soon  as  they  made 
sail,  the  captain  ordered  the  boat  to  be  cast  loose,  in 
order  that  she  might  be  painted,  with  the  oars,  rudder, 
and  tiller,  which  job  he  (Captain  Cochlau)  undertook 
to  do  himself. 

At  fpur  P.  M.  they  found  the  vessel  made  a  little 
more  water,  than  usual ;  but  as  it  did  not  cause  much 
additional  labor  at  the  pump,  nothing  was  thought  of  if. 
At  eight,  the  leak  did  not  seem  to  increase.  At  twelve 
it  began  to  blow  very  hard  in  squalls,  which  caused  the 
R 


194  LOSS    OF   THE   BRIG   TYRREL. 

vessel  to  lie  down  v,cry  much,  whereby  it  was  apprehend- 
ed she  wanted  more  ballast.  Thereupon  the  captain, 
,came  on  deck,  being  the  starboard  watch,  close  reefed 
both  top-sails. 

At  four  A.  M.  the  weather  moderated — let  out  both 
reefs  : — at  eight  it  became  still  more  moderate,  and  they 
made  more  sail,  and  set  top  gallant  sails  ;  the  weather 
was  still  thick  and  hazy.  There  was  no  further  obser- 
vation taken  at  present,  except  that  the  vessel  made  more 
water.  The  captain  was  now  chiefly  employed  in  paint- 
ing the  boat,  oars,  rudder,  arid  tiller. 

On  Monday,  June  30th,  at  four  P.  M.  the  wind  was  at 
E.  N.  E.  freshened  very  much,  and  blew  so  very  hard, 
as  occasioned  the  brig  to  lie  along  in  such  a  manner  as 
caused  general  alarm.  The  captain  -was  now  earnestly 
intreated  to  put  for  New- York,  or  steer  for  the  Capes  of 
Virginia.  At  eight,  took  in  top-gallant  sail,  and  close 
reefed  both  top-sails,  still  making  more  weather.  After- 
wards the  weather  became  still  more  moderate  and  fair, 
-and  they  made  more  sail. 

July  1st,  at  four  A.  M.  it  began  to  blow  in  squalls  very 
hard ;  took  in  one  reef  in  each  top  sail,  and  continued 
so  until  eight  A.  M.  the  weather  being  still  thick  and 
hazy. — No  observation. 

The  next  day  she  made  still  more  water,  but  as  every 
watch  pumped  it  out,  this  was  little  regarded.  At 
Tour  P.  ;M.  took  second  reef  in  each  top- sail,  close 
reefed  both,  and  down  top-gallant  yard  ;  the  gale  still 
increasing. 

At  four  A.  M.  the  wind  got  round  to  N.  and  there 
was  no  likelihood  of  its  abating.  At  eight,  the  captain, 
well  satisfied  that  she  was  very  crank  and  ought  to  have 
iiad  more  ballast,  agreed  to  make  for  Bacon-Island 
Jload,  in  North  Carolina  ;  and  in  the  very  act  of  wear- 
ing her,  a  sudden  gust  of  wind  laid  her  down  on  her 
beam-end?,  and  she  never  rose  again  1  At  this  time  Mr. 
Purnell  was  lying  iii  the  cabin,  with  his  clothes  on,  not 
having  pulled  them  off  since  they  left  laud.  Having 
been  rolled  out  of  his  bed  (on  his  chest,)  with  great 
difficulty  he  reached  the  round-hquse  door  the  first  salu- 
tation he  met  with  was  from  the  step-ladder  that  went 
from  the  quarter-deck  to  the  poop,  which  knocked  "him 


LOSS    OF    THE    BRIG   TYRREL,  I  $5 

against  the  companion,  (a  lucky  circumstance  for  those 
below,  as,  by  laying  the  ladder  against  the  companion, 
it  served  both  him  and  the  rest  of  the  people  who  were 
in  the  steerage,  as  a  conveyance  to  windward  ;)  having 
transported  Ihe  two  after  guns  forward  to  bring  her  more 
by  the  head,  in  order  to  make  her  hold  a  better  wind  : 
thus  they  got  through  the  aftermost  gun-port  on  the 
quarter-deck,  and  being  all  on  her  broad  side,  every 
moveahle  rolled  to  leeward,  and  as  ';thc  vessel  overset, 
so -did  the  boat,  and  turned  bottom  upwards,  her  las!1.* 
ings  being  cast  loose,  by  order  of  the  captain,  and  hav- 
ing no  other  prospect  of  saving  their  lives  but  by  the 
boat,  Purnell,  with  two  others,  and  the  cabin  boy  (who- 
were  excellent  swimmers)  plunged  into  the  water,  and 
with  great  difficulty  righted  her,  when  she  was  brim  full, 
and  washing  with  the  water's  edge.  They  then  made 
fast  the  end  of  the  main-sheet  to  the  ling  in  her  stern- 
post,  and  those  who  were  in  the  fore-chains  sent  down 
the  end  of  the  boom- tackle,  to  which  they  made  fast  the 
boat's  painter,  and  by  which  they  lifted  her  a  little  out  of 
the  water,  so  that  she  swam  about  two  or  three  inches 
free,  but  almost  full.  They  then  put  the  cabin-boy  into 
her,  and  ^gave  him  a  bucket  that  happened  to  float  by, 
and  he  baled  away  as  quick  as  he  couid,  and  soon  after 
another  person  got  in  with-  another  bucket,  and  in  a 
short  time  got  all  the  water  out  of  her.  They  then  put 
two  long  oars  that  were  stowed  in  the  larboard  quarter 
of  the  Tyrrel  into  the  boat,  and  pulled  or  rowed  right  to 
windward ;  for,  as  the  wreck  drifted,  she  made  a  dread- 
ful appearance  in  the  water,  and  Mr.  Purnell  and  two 
of  the  people  put  off  from  the  wreck,  in  search  of  the 
oars,  rudder  and  tiller.-  After  a  long  while  they  succeed- 
ed in  picking:  them  ail  up,  one  after  another.  They 
then  returned  to  their  wretched  companions,  who  were 
all  overjoyed  to  see  them,  having  given  them  up  for 
lost.  By  this  time  night  drew  on  very  fast.  While 
they  were  rowing  in  the  boat,  *ome  small  quantity  of 
white  biscuit  (Mr.  Purnell  supposed  about  half  a  peck,) 
floated  in  a  small  cask,  out  of  the  round  house :  but, 
before^it  came  to  hand,  was  so  weaken  with  salt  water, 
that  it  was  almost  in  a  (mid  slate  ;  and  about  double 
the  quantity  of  common  ship-biscuit  likewise  floated, 


196  LOSS    OF   THE   BRIG   TYRRED. 

which  was  in  like  manner  soaken.  This  was  all  the  pro- 
visions that  they  had ;  not  a  drop  of  fredi  water  could 
they  get  ;  neither  could  the  carpenter  get  at  any  of  his 
tools  to  scuttle  her  sides,  for,  could  this  have  been 
accomplished,  they  might  have  saved  plenty  of  provi- 
sions and  water. 

By  this  time  it  was  almost  dark  ;  having  got  one  com- 
pass, it  was  determined  to  (\uit  the  wreck,  and  take 
their  chance  in  the  boat,  which  was  nineteen'  feet  six 
inches  long,  and  six  feet  four  inches  broad  :  Mr.  Pur- 
nell  supposes  it  was  now  about  nine  o'clock  :  it  was 
very  dark.  They  had  rim  300  miles  by  their  dead 
reckoning,  on  a  S.  ft.  by  E.  course.  The  number  in  the 
boat  was  17  in  all ;  the  boat  was  very  deep,  and  little  hopes 
were  entertained  of  either  seeing  land  or  surviving  long. 
The  wind  got  round  to  westward,  which  was  the  course 
they  wanted  to  steer ;  but  it  began  to  blow  and  rain  so 
very  hard,  that  they  were  obliged  to  keep  the  boat 
before  the  wind  and  sea,  in  order  to  preserve  her  above 
\vater.  Soon  after  they  Lad  put  off  from  the  wreck  the 
boat  shipped  two  heavy  seas,  one  after  another,  so  that 
they  were  obliged  to  keep  her  before  the  wind  and  sea;; 
for  had  she  shipped  another  sea,  she  certainly  would 
have  swamped  with  them. 

.  Uy. sun-rise  the  next  morning,  July  3d,  thry  judged 
that 'they  had  been  running  E.  S.  E.  which  was  con- 
trary to  their  wishes.  The  wind  dying  away,  the  weather 
became  very  moderate.  The  compass  which  they  had 
saved  proved  of  no  utilit3r,  one  of  the  people  having 
trod  upon,  and  broken  it  ;  it  was  accordingly  'thrown 
overboard.  They  no\v  proposed  to  make  a  sail  of  frocks 
?  nd  trowsers,  but  they  had  got  neither  needless  nor  sew- 
ing-twine ;  one  of  the  people  however,  had  a  needle  in 
his  knife,  and  another  several  fishing  'lines  in  his 
pockets,  which  were  unlaid  by  some,  and  others  were 
employed  in  ripping  the  frocks  and  trowsers.  By  sun- set 
they  had  provided  a  tolerable  lugsail :  having  split  one 
of  the  boat's  th'outs  (which  was  of  yellow  deal,)  with'a 
very  large  knife,  which  one  of  the  crew  had  in  his 
pocket,  they  made  a  yard  and  lashed  it  together  by  the 
strands  of  the  fore-top  gallant  halyards,  that  were  thrown 
iiih>  fh<>  beat  promiscuously^  They  also  1x12 de  a  mas*. 


LOSS  OF  THE  BRIG  TYRREL.         19? 

of  one  of  the  long  oar?,  and  set  their  sails,  with  sheets 
and  tacks  made  out  of  the  strands  of  the  top-gallant 
halyards.  Their  only  guide  was  the  North  Star.  They 
had  a  tolerable  good  breeze  all  night  ;  and  the  whole  of 
the  next  day,  July  4th,  the  weather  continued  very  mo- 
derate, and  the  people  were  in  as  good  spirits  as  their 
dreadful  situation  would  admit. 

July  5th,  the  wind  and  weather  continued  much  the 
same  and  they  knew  by  the  North  Star  that  they  were 
standing  in  for  land.  The  next  day  Mr.  Purnell  observ- 
ed some  of  the  men  drinking  salt  water,  and  seeming 
rather  fatigued.  At  this  time  they  imagined  the  wind 
had  got  round  to  the  southward,  and  they  steered,  as  they 
thought  by  the  North  Star,  to  the  northwest  quarter  ;  but 
on  the  7th,  the  wind  had  got  back  to  the  northward  and 
blew  very  fresh.  They  got  their  oars  out  the  greatest 
part  of  the  night  and  the  next  da}r,  the  wind  still  dying 
away,  the  people  labored  alternately  at  the  oars,  without 
distinction.  About  noon  the  wind  sprung  up  so  that  they 
lay  on  their  oars,  and  as  they  thought,  steered  about 
N.  N.  W.  and  continued  so  until  about  eight  or  nine  in 
the  morning  of  July  9th,  when  they  all  thought  they 
were  upon  soundings,  by  the  coldness  of  the  water. 
They  were  in  general  in  very  good  spirits.  The  weather 
continued  still  thick  and  hazy,  and  by  the  North  Star, 
they  found  that  they  had  been  steering  about  north  by 
west. 

July  10.— The  people  had  drank  so  much  salt  water, 
that  it  came  from  them  as  clear  as  it  was  before  they 
drank  it  ;  and  Mr.  Purnell  perceived  that  the  second 
mate  had  lost  a  considerable  share  of  his  strength  and 
spirits;  and  also,  at  noon,  that  the  carpenter  was  deliri- 
ous, his  malady  increasing  every  hour  ;  about  dusk  he 
had  almost  overset  the  boat,  by  attempting  to  throw 
himself  overboard,  and  otherwise  behaving  quite  violent. 
As  his  strength,  however,  failed  him,  he  became  more 
manageable,  and  they  got  him  to  lie  down  in  the  middle 
of  the  boat,  among  some  of  the  people.  Mr.  Purnell 
drank  once  a  little  salt  water,  but  could  not  .dish  it  ;  he 
preferred  his  own  urine,  which  he  drank  occasionly  as 
he  made  it.  Soon  after  sun-set  the  second  mate  lost 
his  speech.  Mr.  Paroell  desired  him  to  lean  his  heat! 
R2 


198  LOSS   OF   THE   LR1G   TYRREL. 

on  him:  he  died  without -a  groan  or  struggle,  on  the  llth 
of  July,  being  the  9th  day  they  were  in  the  boat.  In  a 
lew  minutes  after  the  carpenter  expired  almost  in  a  simi- 
lar manner.  These  melancholy  scenes  rendered  the 
situation  of  the  survivors  more  dreadful ;  it  is  impossible 
10  describe  their  feelings.  Despair  became  general; 
« very  man  imagined  his  own  dissolution  was  near, 
They  all  now  went  to  prayers  ;  some  in  the  Welch  lan- 
guage, some  in  Irish,  and  others  in  English  ;  then  afier  a 
little  deliberation,  they  stripped  the  two  dead  men,  ami 
hove  them  overboard. 

The  weather  being  now  very  mild,  and  almost  calm, 
they  turned  to,  cleaned  the  boat,  and  resolved  to  make 
their  sail  larger  out  of  the  frocks  and  trowsers  of  the  two 
deceased  men.  Puniell  got  the  captain  to  lie  down  with 
the  rest  of  the  people,  the  boatswain  and  one  man  ex- 
repted,  who  assisted  him  in  making  the  sail  larger,  which 
ihey  had  completed  by  six  or  seven  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon, having  made  a  shroud  out  of  the  boat's  painter, 
which  served  as  a  shifting  back-stay.  Purnell  also  fixed 
Lis  red  flannel  waistcoat  at  the  mast  head,  as  a  signal  the 
most  likely  to  be  seen. 

Soon  after  this  some  of  them  observed  a  sloop  at  a 
great  distance,  coming,  as  they  thought,   from  the  land. 
This  roused  every  man's  spirits  :  they  got  out  their  cars, 
at  which  they  labored  alternately,  exerting  all  their  re- 
maining strength  to  come  up  with  her  ;  but  night  coming 
on,  and  the  sloop  getting  a  fresh  breeze  of  wind,  they ; 
Tost  sight  of  her,  which  occasioned  a  general  consterna- 
tion ;  however,  the  appearance  of  the  North  Star,  which 
they  kept  on  their  starboard  bow,  gave  them  hopes  that 
they  stood  in  for  land.     This  night  one  William  Wathing. 
died ;  he  was  64  years  of  age,  and  had  been  to  sea  5Q . 
years  :  quite  worn  out  with  fatigue  and  hunger,  he  earn-, 
estlj  prayed,  to  the  last  moment  for  a  drop  of  water  to . 
cool  his  tongue.     Early  the  next  morning  Hugh  Williams 
also  died,  and  in  the  course  of  the  day,   another  of  the 
crew ;    entirely  exhausted,  they  both  expired  without  $ ; 
groan.' 

Early  in  the  morning  of  July  13th,  it  J>egan  to  blow 
very  fresh,  and  increased  so  much  that  they  were  obligee] 
to  furl  their  sail,,  and  keep  their  boat  before  tie  wind  aju| 


LOSS    OF   TIIE    BRIG    TYRREL.  199^ 

&ea,  which  drove  them  off  soundings.  In  the  evening 
their  2;urmer  died.  The  weather  now  becoming  mode* 
rate,  and  the  wind,  in  the  S.  W.  quarter,  they  made  sail, 
not  one  of  them  being  able  to  row  or  pull  an  oar  at  any 
rate ;  they  ran  all  this  night  with  a  fine  breeze. 

.The  next  induing,  July  I4ih,  two  more  of  the.  crew 
died,  and  in  the  evening  they  also  Jost  the  same  number. 
They  found  they  v,  ere  on  soundings  again,  snd  conclud- 
ed the  wind  had  got  round  to  the  N.  W.  quarter,  They 
stood  in  for  the  land  all  this  night,  and  early  on  July  15ih, 
two  others  died  :  the  deceased  were  thrown  overboard 
as  soon  as  their  breath  had  departed.  The  weather  was 
now  thick  and  hazy,  and  they  were  still  certain  that 
they  were  on  soundings. 

The  cabin  boy  was  seldom  required  to  do  any  thing, 
?tnd  as  his  intellects,  at  this  time,  were  very  good,  and 
his  understanding  clear,  it  was  the  opinion  of  I\ir.  Purueli 
that  he  would  survive  them  all,  but  he  prudently  kept 
his  thoughts  to  himself.  The  captain  seemed  likewise 
tolerably  well,  and  te  have  kept  up  his  spirits.  On  ac- 
count of  the  haziness  of  the  weather,  they  could  not  so 
well  know  how  they  steered  in  the  day-time,  as  at  night ; 
for,  whenever  the  North  Star  appeared,  they  endeavored 
to  keep  it  on  their  starboard  bo;»v,  by  which  means  they 
were  certain  of  making  the  laud  some,  t^ie  or  other.  In 
the  evening  two  more  of  the  crew7  died ;  also,  before, 
sun-rise,  one  Thomas  philpot,  an  old  experienced  sea- 
man, an^l  very  strong ;  he  Departed  rather  convulsed.: 
haying  latterly  lost  the  power  of  articulation,  his  mean- 
ing could  not  be  comprehended.  He  was  a  native  of 
Belfast,  Ireland,  and  had  no  family.  The  survivors 
found  it  very  difficult  to  heave  l)is  body  overboard  as, -he 
was  a  very  corpulent  man. 

About  six  or  seven  the  nest  morning,  July  1 6th,  they 
stood  in ,  for  land,  according  to  the  best  of  their  judg- 
ment ;  the  weather  still  thick  and  hazy.  Purnell  no\y 
prevailed  upon  tbe  captain  and  boatswain  of  the  boat  to 
lie  down  in  the  fore  part  of  the  boat,  to  bring  her  more 
by  the  head,  in  order  to,  make  l?er  hold  a  better,  wind. 
In  th.e  evening  the  cabin  ^oy,  who  lately  appeared  so 
well,  breathed  his  last,  leaving  behind  the  captain,  the 
c,  aii'Jl  Mr.  purndl,  4 


200  LOSS    OF    THE    BRIG    TYRREL. 

The  next,  morning,  July  17th,  Purnell  asked  his  two 
companions  if  they  thought  they  could  eat  any  of  the 
boy's  flesh  ;  and  having  expressed  an  inclination  to  try, 
and  the  boy  being  quite  cold,  he  cut  the  inside  of  his 
thigh,  a  little  above  his  knee,  and  gave  a  piece  to  the 
captain  and  boatswain,  reserving  a  small  piece  for  him- 
self;  but  so  weak  were  their  stomachs,  that  none  of 
them  could  swallow  a  morsel  of  it;  the  body  was  there- 
fore thrown  overboard. 

Early  in  the  morning  of  the  18th,  Mr.  PurneH  found 
both  of  his  companions  dead  ami  cold  !  Thus  destitute, 
he  began  to  think  of  his  own  dissolution ;  though  feeble, 
his  understanding  was  still  clear,  and  his  spirits  as  good 
as  his  forlorn  situation  would  possibly  admit.  By  the 
color  and  coldness  of  the  water,  he  knew  he  was  not  far 
from  land,  and  still  maintained  hopes  of  making  it. 
The  weather  continued  very  foggy.  He  lay  to,  all  this 
night,  which  was  very  dark,  with  the  boat's  head  to  the 
northward. 

In  the  morning  of  the  1 9th,  it  began  to  rain  ;  it  cleared 
up  in  the  afternoon,  and  the  wind  died  away  ;  still  Pur- 
nell  was  convinced  he  was  on  soundings. 

On  the  20th,  in  the  afternoon,  he  thought  he  saw  land, 
and  stood  in  for  it ;  but  night  coming  on,  and  it  being 
now  very  dark,  lie  lay  to,  fearing  he  might  get  on  some 
rocks  or  shoals. 

July  21st,  the  weather  was  very  fine  all  the  morning, 
but.  in  the  afternoon  it  became  thick  and  nasty.  Purnell's 
spirits  still  remained  good,  but  his  strength  was  almost 
exhausted  :  he  still  drank  his  own  water  occasionally. 

On  the  22d,  he  saw  some  barnacles  on  the  boat's  rud- 
der, very  similar  to  the  spawn  of  an  oyster,  which 
fllled  him  with  great  hopes  of  being  near  to  land.  He 
unshipped  the  rudder,  and  scraping  them  off  with  his 
knife,  found  they  were  of  a  salt  fishy  substance,  and  eat 
them ;  he  v/as  now  so  weak,  and  the  boat  having  a  great 
motion,  that  he  found  it  a  difficult  tas{t  to  ship  the  rud- 
der. 

At  sunrise,  July  23d,  he  beearne  so  sure  that  he  saw 
land,  that  his  spirits  'were  considerably  raised.  In  the 
middle  of  this  day  he  got  up,  leaned  his  back  against  the 
mast,  ajul  redfeived  succour  from  the  s^n,  having  prevf- 


LOSS    OF    THE    BRIG    TYTIREL.  201 

ously  contrived  to  steer  the  boat  in  this  position.  The 
>:ext  day  he  saw,  at  a  very  great  distance,  some  kind  of 
a  sail,  which  he  judged  was  coining  from  the  land> 
which  he  soon  lost  sight  of.  In  the  middle  of  the  day 
hegotup,  and  received  warmth  from  the  sun  as  before, 
He  stood  on  all  night  for  the  land. 

Very  early  in  the  morning  cf  the  25th,  after  c-rinking 
his  morning  clrausrht,  to  his  inexpressible  joy,  he  saw, 
while  the  sun  was  rising,  a  sail,  and  when  the  sun  was 
up,  found  she  was  a  two  mast  vessel.  He  was,  however, 
considerably  perplexed,  not  knowing  what  to  do,  as  she 
was  a  great  distance  astern  and  to  the  leeward.  In  or- 
der to  watch  her  motion  better,  he  tacked  about:  Soon 
after  this  he  perceived  she  was  standing  on  her  starboard 
tack,  which  was  the  same  he  had  been  standing  on  for 
many  hours.  He  saw  she  approached  him  very  fast,  and 
lie  lay  to.  for  some  time,  till  he  believed  s]ie  was  within 
two  miles  of  the  boat,  but  still  to  leeward';  therefore  he 
thought  it  best  to  steer  larger,  when  he  found  she  was  a 
topsail  schooner,  nearing  him  YFTV  fast.  He  continued 
to  edge  down  towsids-  her,  UL..;  he  had  brought  her 
about  two  points  under  his  lee-bow,  having  it  in  his  power 
to  spring  his  luff,  or  bear  away.  By  this  time  she  wife 
within  half  a  mile,  and  he  saw  some  of  the  people 
standing  forward  on  her  deck,  and  waving  fur  him  tb 
come  under  their  lee  bow.  At  the  distance  of  about 
200  yards,  they  hove  the  schooner  up  in  the  wind,  and 
kept  her  so  until  Pumeil  got  along^d--,  when  they  threw 
him  a  rope,  still  keeping  the  schooner  in  the  wind. 
They  now  interrogated  him  very  closely  ;  by  the  man- 
ner the  boat  and  oars  were  painted,  they  imagined  she 
belonged  to  a  man  or  war,  and  tiiat  they  had  ran  awaj* 
\vith  her  from  some  of  his  majesty's  ships  at  Halifax', 
consequently  that  they  would  be  liable  to  some  punish- 
ment if  they  took  him  up:  they  also  thought,  as  the 
captain  and  boatswain  were  lying  dead  in- the  boat,  they 
might  expose  themselves  to  some  contagious  disorder. 
Thus  they  kept  Furnell  in  suspence  for  sometime.  They' 
lold  1  im  they  had  made  the  land  that  mormug-  from 
the  mast  head,  and  that  they  weie  running  along  shore 
for  Marblehead,  to  which  place  they  belong^,  and  where- 
they  expected  to  be  the  next  morning.  At  last  they  told 


202  LOSS    O?   THE    BRIG   TTRREL. 

him  he  might  corr.e  on  board  ;  which,  as  he  said,  he 
could  not  without  assistance  ;  when  the  captain  ordered 
two  of  his  men  to  help  him.  They  conducted  him  aft 
on  the  quarter-deck,  where  they  left  him  resting  against 
the  companion.  They  were  now  for  casting  the  boat 
adrift,  when  PurneH  told  them  she  was  not  above  a 
month  old,  built  at  New-York,  and  if  they  would  hoist 
her  in,  it  would  pay  them  well  for  their  trouble.  To 
this  they  agreed,  arid  having  thrown  the  two  corpses 
overboard,  and  taken  out  the  clothes  that  were  left  by 
the  deceased,  they  hcisteti  her  in  and  made  sail. 

Being  now  on  board,  Purneli  asked  for  a  little  water  ; 
Captain  Castfeman,  (for  that  was  hiyname)  ordered  one 
cf  his  sons  (having  two  or,  board)  to  fetch  him  some  ; 
when  he  came  with  the  water,  his  father  looked  to  see 
how  much  he  was  bringing  him,  and  thinking  it  too 
much  threw  a  part  of  it  away,  and  desired  him  to  give 
the  remainder,  which  he  drank,  being  the  first  fresh 
water  \\e  had  tasted  for  23  days.  As  he  leaned  all  this 
time  against  the  companion,  he  became  very  cold,  and 
begged  to  go  below:  the  captain  ordered  two  men  to 
help  him  do\vn  to  the  cabin,  where  they  left  him  sitting 
on  the  cabin  deck,  leaning  upon  the  lockers,  all  hands 
being  now  engaged  io  hoisting  in  anil  securing  the  boat. 
This  done,  all  hands  went  down  to  breakfast,  except  the 
man  at  the  helm.  They  made  some  soup  for  Purneli, 
Vv-hich  he  thought  ^ery  good,  but  at  that  time  could  eat 
but  very  little,  and  inconsequence  of  his  late  draughts, 
h«2  had  broke  out  in  many  p^rts  of  his  bocVv,  so  that  he 
was  in  great  pain  whenever  "he- stirred.  They  made  a 
bed  for  him  out  Of  ail  old  sail,  and  behaved  very  atten- 
tive. While  they  -Vote  at"  breakfast  a  squall  of  wind 
eam.c  on,  which  calletl'lhwii  all  upon  deck;  during  their 
absence,-  Purnel!  took  up  a  stone  bottle,  and  without 
smelling  or  tasting  it,  but  thin-Icing  it  was  rum,  took  a 
hearty  draught  of  if,'  and  found  it  to  be  sweet  oil ;  having 
placed  it  where  fee  found-'  it,  he  lay  down. 

They  still  ran  alone;  shore  with  the  land  in  sight,   and 
Were  iii  <rreal  hopes,  of  getting  into  port  that  night,  but 
wind  <iyinsjvaw?.y,  they  did  not 'get  in  till  nine  o'el 
•the  next 'night,     A-ithP.  *ime  P^r^eir 'remained  like 


;the 

,. 


LO3S  OF  THE  BRIG  TYRREL.          203 

child  ;   some  one  or  other  was  always  with  him,  to  give 
him  whatever  he  wished  to  eat  or  drink. 

As  soon  as  they  came  to  anchor,  Captain  Castleman 

went  on  shore,  and  returned  on  board  the  next  morning 

with  the  owner,  John  Picket,  Esq.     Soon  after  they  got 

Porneli   into  a  boat  and  carried  him  on  shore  ;  but  he 

I  was  still  so  very  feeble,  that  he  was  obliged  to  be  sup- 

>  ported  by  two  men.     Mrv  Picket  took  a  very  genteel 

lodging  for  him,  and  hired  a  nurse  to  attend  him  ;  he 

was,  immediately  put  to  bed,  ami  afterwards  provided 

with  a  change  of  clothes.     In  the  course  of  the  day  he 

i  was  visited   by  every  doctor  in  the  town,  who  all  gave 

him  hopes  of  recovering  ;  but  told  him  it  would  be  some 

time,  for  the  stronger  the  constitution,  (said  they)  the 

longer  it  takes  to  recover   its   lost  strength.     Though 

treated  with  the  utmost  tenderness  ami  humanity,  it  was 

three  weeks  before  he  was  able  to  come  down  stairs.    He 

j.  stayed  in  Marblehead  two  monthSj"  during  which  he  lived 

i  very  comfortably,   ami  gradual'y  recovered  his  strength. 

i  The  brig's  boat  and  oars  were  sold  for  $95,  which  paid 

all  his  expences,  and  procured  him  a  passage  to  Boston. 

|  The  nails  of  his  lingers  and  toes  withered  away  almost 

I  to  nothing,  and  did  not  begin  to  grow  for  many  months 

i  after. 


NARRATIVE    OP   THE 


SUFFERINGS  AND  EXTRAORDINARY  ADVEN- 
TURES OF  FOUR  RUSSIAN  SAILORS, 


Who  were  cast  away  on  the  Desert  Island  o 
Spitsbergen,  in  1743. 


J_N  the  year  17^3,  Jeremiah  Okladmkoff,  a  mer- 
chant of  Mesen,  in  the  Province  of  Jugovia,  and  the 
government  of  Archangel,  fitted  out  a  vessel  carrying  14 
men.  She  was  destined  for  Spitsbergen,  to  be  employ- 
ed in  the  whale  and  seal  fishery.  For  eight  successive 
days  after  they  had  sailed,  the  wind  was  fair ;  but  on  the 
ninth  it  changed,  so  that  instead  of  getting  to  the  west  of 
Spitsbergen,  the  usual  place  of  rendevous  for  the  Dutch 
ships,  and  those  of  other  nations  annually  employed  in 
the  whale  fisheries,  they  were  driven  eastward  of  those 
islands,  and  after  some  days  they  found  themselves  at  a 
small  distance  from  one  of  them,  called  East- Spitsber- 
gen. 

Having  approached  this  island  within  about  three 
wersts,  or  two  English  miles,  their  vessel  was  suddenly 
surrounded  by  ice,  and  they  found  themselves  in  an  ex- 
tremely dangerous  situation.  In  this  alarming  state  a 
consultation  was  held,  when  the  mate,  Alexis  Himkoflf, 
declared,  he  recollected  he  had  heard  that  some  of  the 
people  of  Mesen,  having  some  time  before,  formed  a 
resolution  of  wintering  on  this  island,  had  accordingly 
carried  from  that  town  timber  proper  for  building  a  hut, 
and  had  actually  erected  one  at  some  distance  from  the 
shore. 


EXTRAORDINARY   ADVENTURES,     &.C.  205 

This  information  induced  the  whole  company  to 
resolve  on  wintering  there ;  if,  as  they  hoped,  the  hut 
still  existed  :  for  they  clearly  perceived  the  imminent 
cla.i^er  in  which  they  were,  and  that  they  must  inevita- 
bly parish  if  they  continued  in  the  ship.  They,  there- 
fore, despatched  four  of  the  crew  in  search  of  the  hut, 
or  any  other  succor  they  could  meet  with.  These 
were  Alexis  HimkofT,  the  mate,  I  wan  Hhnkoff,  his  god- 
son, Stephen  Scharapofl',  and  Feoder  Weregin.  As  the 
shore  on  which  they  were  to  land  was  uninhabited,  it 
was  necessary  that  they  should  make  some  provision 
for  their  expedition.  They  had  almost  two  miles  to 
travel  over  loose  bridges  of  ice,  which  being  raised  by 
the  waves,  and  driven  against  each  other  by  the  wind,  ren- 
dered the  way  equally  difficult  and  dangerous.  Prudence, 
therefore,  forbade  their  loading  themselves  too  much,  lest 
being  oveibnrthened,  they  might  sink  between  the  pie- 
ces of  ice  and  perish. 

Having  thus  maturely  considered  the  nature  of  their 
undertaking,  the}  provided  themselves  with  a  musket, 
a  powder-horn,  containing  twelve  charges  of  powder, 
with  as  many  balls ;  an  axe,  a  small  kettle,  a  bag  with 
about  twenty  pounds  of  flour,  a  knife,  a  tinder-box  and 
tinder,  a  bladder  filled  with  tobacco,  and  every  man  his 
wooden  pipe.  Thus  equipped  these  four  sailors  arrived 
on  the  island,  little  suspecting  the  misfortune  that  was 
about  to  befal  them.  The  first  thing  they  did  was  to  ex- 
plore the  country,  and  soon  discovered  the  hut  they 
were  in  search  of,  about  a  mile  and  a  half  from  the  shore. 
It  was  thirty-six  feet  in  length,  eighteen  in  breadth,  and 
as  many  high.  It  contained  a  small  anti-chamber,  about 
twelve  feet  broad,  whicsh  had  two  doors,  one  to  shut 
out  the  exterior  air,  the  other  to  communicate  with  the 
inner  room.  This  contributed  greatly  to  keep  the  lar- 
ger lootn  warm  when  once  heated.  In  the  large  roonl 
was  an  earthen  stove,  constructed  in  the  Russian  man- 
ner ;  tiiat  is,  a  kind  of  oven  without  a  chimney  ;  which 
serves  occasionly  either  for  baking,  for  heating  the 
room,  or,  as  Is  customary  among  the  Russian  peasants  in 
very  cold  weather,  to  sleep  upon. 
S 


EXTRAORDINARY   ADVENTURES    OF 

Tliis  discovery  gave  our  adventurers  great  joy.  The 
hut  had,  however,  suffered  much  from  the  weather, 
having  now  been  built  a  considerable  time.  They  pass- 
ed the  night  in  it,  and  early  the  next  morning  hastened 
to  the  shore,  impatient  to  inform  their  comrades  of  their 
success,  and  also  to  procure  provisions,  ammunition,  and 
other  necessities  as  might  better  enable  the  crew  to  win- 
ter on  the  island.  Their  astonishment  and  agony  of 
mind,  when  on  reaching  the  place  where  they  had  land- 
ed, they  saw  nothing  but  an  open  sea,  free  from  ice, 
which  but  the  day  before  had  covered  the  ocean, 
may  more  easily  be  conceived  than  descried.  A  violent 
storm  which  ha<l  arisen  during  the  preceding  night,  had 
been  the  cause  of  this  disastrous  event.  But  they  could 
not  tell  whether  the  ice  which  had  before  hemmed  in 
the  vessel,  had  been  driven  by  the  viotence  of  the 
waves  against  the  ship,  and  shattered  her  to  pieces  ;  or 
whether  she  had  been  carried  out  to  sea  by  the  current, 
fi  circumstance  which  Jrequently  happens  in  those  seas. 
Whatever  accident  had  befallen  her,  they  saw  her  no 
more  ;  and  as  no  tidings  were  ever  afterwards  received 
of  her,  it  is  most  probable  that  she  sunk,  and  that  all  on 
board  of  her  perished. 

This  unfortunate  event  .deprived  the  wretched  mari- 
ners of  all  hope  of  ever  being  able  to  quit  the  island, 
and  they  returned  to  the  hut  full  of  horror  and  despair. 
Their  first  attention  was  .employed,  rs  may  easily  be 
imagined,  ;jjn  devising  the  aneans  of  providing  subsis- 
tence and  repairing  their  hut.  The  twelve  charges  of 
powder  which  they  had  brought  with  them,  soon  pro- 
cured them  as  .many  rein-deer,  with  which  animals  the 
island  abounds. 

It  has  already  been  observed  that  Ihe  hut  discovered 
by  the  sailors  had  sustained  some  damage.  There 
were  cracks  in  many  places  between  the  boards  of  the 
building,  which  allowed  free  admission  to  the  air. 
This  inconvenience  was,  however,  easily  remedied ;  as 
they  had  an  axe,  and  the  beams  were  still  sound,  it  was 
p;n  easy  matter  to  make  the  boards  join  again  very  tol- 
erably;  besides,  as  moss  grew  in  great  abundnnc ; 
over  tbe  island,  there  was  jmore  than  sufiieierJ  to  fill 


POUR   RUSSIAN    SAILORS.  207 

tip  the  crevices,  to  which  wooden  houses  must  always 
be  liable.  Repairs  of  tin's  kind  cost  the  unhappy  men 
the  less  trouble,  as  they  were  Russians,  for  all  Russian 
peasants  are  good  carpenters,  building  their  own 
houses,  and  being,  in  general,  very  expert  in  handling 
the  axe. 

The  intense  cold  which  makes  those  climates  habita- 
ble to  so  few  species  of  animals,  renders  them  equally 
unfit  for  the  production  of  vegetables.  No  species  of 
tree  or  even  shrub  is  found  on  any  of  the  islands  of 
Spitsbergen,  a  circumstance  of  the  most  alarming  na- 
ture to  our  sailors.  Without  fire  it  was  impossible  to 
resist  the  severity  of  the  climate  ;  and  without  wood 
how  was  that  fire  to  be  produced  or  supported  ?  Provi- 
dence has,  however,  so  ordered  it,  that  in  this  particular 
the  sea  supplies  the  defects  of  the  land.  In  wandering 
along  the  beach  they  collected  plenty  of  wood,  which 
had  been  driven  ashore  by  the  waves.  It  consisted  at 
first  of  the  wrecks  of  ships,  and  afterwards  of  whole 
trees  with  their  roots,  the  produce  of  some  more  hospi- 
table, but  to  them  unknown,  country. 

During  the  first  year  of  their  exile,  nothing  proved 
of  more  essential  service  to  these  unfortunate  men, 
than  some  boards  they  found  on  the  beach,  having  a 
long  iron  hook,  some  nails  about  five  or  six  inches  in 
length  and  proportionally  thick,  together  with  other 
pieces  of  old  iron  fixed  in  them,  the  melancloly  relics 
of  some  vessels  cast  away  in  those  remote  parts.  These 
were  thrown  on  shore  by  the  waves,  at  a  time  when  the 
want  of  powder  gave  our  men  reason  to  apprehend  that 
they  must  fall  a  prey  to  hunger,  as  they  had  nearly  con- 
sumed the  rein-deer  they  had  killed.  This  circumstance 
was  succeeded  by  another  equally  fortunate ;  they  found 
on  the  shore  the  root  of  a  fir-tree,  which  nearly  approach- 
ed to  the  figure  of  a  bow. 

As  necessity  has  ever  been  the  mother  of  invention, 
so  with  the  help  of  a  knife  they  soon  converted  this  root 
into  a  good  bow ;  but  they  still  wanting  a  string  and 
arrows.  Not  knowing  how  to  procure  these  at  present, 
they  resolved  upon  making  a  couple  of  lances  to  defend 
themselves  against  the  white  bears,  the  attacks  of  which 


203  EXTRAORDINARY   ADVENTURES    O31 

animals,  by  far  the  most  ferocious  of  their  kind,  they 
had  great  reason  to  dread.  Finding  (hey  could  ne!i!,«-i- 
make  the  heads  of  their  lances,  nor  their  arrows,  with- 
out the  help  of  a  hammer,  they  contrived  to  form  the 
Targe  iron  hook  mentioned  above  in  one,  by  heating 
it,  and  widening  a  hole  it  happened  to  have  about  its 
middle,  with  the  assistance  of  one  of  the  largest  nails. 
This  received  the  handle,  and  a  round  knob  at  one 
end  of  the  hook  served  for  the  face  of  the  hammer.  A 
large  stone  supplied  the  place  of  the  anvil,  the  tongs 
were  formed  of  a  couple  of  rein  deer's  horns.  With 
these  tools  they  made  two  spearheads,  and  after  polish- 
ing and  sharpening  them  on  stones,  they  tied  them  as 
fast  as  possible  with  thongs  of  rein  deer  skin,  to  sticks 
about  the  thickness  of  a  man's  arm,  which  they  got 
from  some  branches  of  trees  that  had  been  ca.st  on  shore. 
Thus  equipped  with  spears,  they  resolved  to  attack  a 
white  bear  ;  and  after  a  most  dangerous  encounter,  they 
killed  the  formidable  creature,  and  thus  obtained  a  fresh 
supply  of  provisions.  The  flesh  of  this  animal  they 
relished  exceedingly,  and  they  thought  it  much  resem- 
bled beef  in  flavor.  They  perceived,  with  great  pleas- 
ure, that  the  tendons  might,  with  little  or  no  trouble, 
be  divided  into  filaments  as  fine  as  they  pleased.  This 
was  perhaps  the  most  fortunate  discovery  these  men 
could  have  made  ;  for  besides  other  advantages,  they 
were  thus  furnished  with  strings  for  their  bow. 

The  success  our  unfortunate  islanders  had  experienced 
in  making  the  spears,  and  the  great  utility  of  the  latter, 
encouraged  them  to  proceed,  and  to  forge  some  pieces 
of  iron  into  heads  of  arrows  of  the  same  shape,  though 
somewhat  smaller  than  those  of  the  spears.  Having 
ground  and  sharpened  these  like  the  former,  they  tied 
them  with  the  sinews  of  the  white  bears  to  pieces  of  fir, 
;ich,  by  means  of  sinews  also  of  the  white  bear, 
they  fastened  feathers  of  sea  fowl,  and  thus  became  pos- 
sessed of  a  complete  bow  and  arrows.  Their  ingenuity 
in  this  respect  was  crowned  with  success  far  beyond 
their  expectation ;  for  during  the  time  of  their  continu- 
ance upon  the  island,  they  killed  with  the  arrows  no  less 
than  250  rein- deer,  besides  a  great  number  of  blue  fend 


FOUR    RUSSIAN    SAILORS.  209 

white  foxes.  The  flesh  of  these  animals  served  them 
for  food,  and  their  skins  for  -clothing,  and  other  neces- 
sary preservatives  against  the  intense  cold  of  a  climate  so 
iiear  the  pole. 

They,  however,  killed  only  ten  white  bears  in  all,  and 
these  not  without  the  utmost  danger  ;  for  these  animals 
being  prodigiously  strong,  defended  themselves  with 
astonishing  vigor  and  fury.  -  The  first  they  attacked  de- 
signedly, but  the  other  nine  they  killed  in  their  own 
defence  ;  for  some  of  these  creatures  even  ventured  to 
enter  the  outer  room  of  their  hut  in  order  to  devour 
them.  All  the  bears  did  not,  it  is  true,  shew  an  equal 
degree  of  fury  ;  either  because  some  were  less  pressed 
by  hunger,  or  were  naturally  of  a  less  ferocious  disposi- 
tion ;  for  several  which  entered  the  hut  immediately 
betook  themselves  to  flight  on  the  first  attempt  of  the 
sailors  to  drive  them  away.  A  repetition  of  the  formi- 
dable attacks  threw  the  men  into  great  terror  and  anx- 
iety, as  they  were  in  almost  perpetual  danger  of  being 
devoured.  The  rein-doer,  the  blue  and  white  foxes, 
and  the  white  bears,  were  the  only  food  these  wretched 
mariners  tasted  during  their  continuance  in  that  dreary 
abode. 

In  their  excursions  through  the  island,  they  had  four.  ! 
nearly  the  middle  of  it  a  slimy  loam,,  or  a  kind  of  ctay . 
Out  of  this  they  found  means  to  form  a  utensil  to  serve 
for  a  lamp,  and  they  proposed  to  keep  it  constantly 
burning  with  the  fat  of  the  animals  they  might  kill.  To 
have  been  destitute  of  light,  in  a  country  where,  in  win- 
ter, darkness  reigns  for  several  months  together,  would 
have  greatly  increased  their  other  calamities.  Having, 
therefore,  fashioned  a  kind  of  lamp,  they  filled  it  wi-h 
some  rein-deer's  fat,  and  stuck  in  it  some  linen  twisted 
into  the  shape  of  a  wick.  But  they  had  the  mortification 
to  find  that,  as  soon  as  the  fat  melted,  it  not  only  soak- 
ed into  the  clay,  but  fairly  ran  through  it  on  all  sides. 
It  was,  therefore,  necessary  to  contrive  some  method  of 
preventing  this  inconvenience,  which  did  not  proceed 
from  cracks,  but  from  the  subsistance  of  which  the  lamp 
was  made  being  too  porous.  They  made  another  one, 
dried  it  thoroughly  in  the  air,  then  heated  it  red  hot.  aad 
S2 


£10  EXTRA  ORDINARY    ADVENTURES    OF 

afterwards  quenched  it  in  their  kettle,  in  which  they  had 
boiled  down  a  quantity  of  flour  to  the  consistance  of 
starch.  The  lamp  being  then  dried  and  filled  with  melt- 
ed fat,  they  now  found  to  their  great  joy  that  it  did  not 
leak.  But,  for  greater  security,  they  dipped  linen  rags 
in  their  paste,  and  with  them  covered  it  all  over  on  the 
outside.  Having  succeeded  in  this  attempt,  they  imme- 
diately made  another  lamp  for  fear  of  an  accident,  that 
at  all  events  (hey  might  not  be  destitute  of  a  light ;  upon 
which  they  determined  to  reserve  the  remainder  of  their 
flour  for  similar  purposes. 

As  they  had  carefully  collected  whatever  happened  to 
be  cast  on  shore  to  supply  themselves  with  fuel,  they 
had  found  among  the  wrecks  of  vessels  some  cordage 
and  a  small  quantity  of  oakum,  which  served  them  to 
rnuke  wicks  for  their  lamp.  When  these  stores  began 
to  fail,  Iheir  shirts  and  trowsers  were  employed  to  make 
good  the  deficiency.  By  these  means  they  kept  their 
I.Hinp  burring  without  intermission,  from  the  day  they 
first  made  it,  which  was  soon  after  their  arrival  on  the 
inland,  until  (licit  of  their  embarkation  for  their  native 
country. 

The  necessity  of  converting  the  most  essential  parts 
of  their  clothing,  such  ns  their  shirts  and  drawers,, 
to  the  use  above  specified,  exposed  them  the  more  to 
<he  rigor  of  the  climate.  They  also  found  themselves 
in  want  of  shoes,  boots,  and  other  articles  of  dress  ; 
?)nd  as  winter  was  approaching,  they  were  again  obliged 
io  have  recourse  to  that  ingenuity  which  necessity  sug- 
gests, and  which  seldom  fails  in  the  trying  hour  of 
distress. 

They  had  abundance  of  skins  of  foxes  and  rein  deer, 
that  had  hitherto  served  them  for  bedding,  and  which 
they  now  thought  af  employing  to  some  more  essential 
service,  but  they  were  at  a  loss  how  to  tan  them.  After 
some  deliberation,  they  resolved  to  adopt  the  following 
method  :  They  soaked  the  skins  for  several  da} sin  fresh 
water,  till  they  could  pull  otf  the  hair  pretty  easily  ; 
they  then  rubbed  ihe  wet  skin  with  their  hands  until  it 
was  nearly  dry,  when  they  spread  some  melted  rain- 
vit  over  ;t?  and  again  rubbed  it  well.  By  this  -pro- 


FOUR    RUSSIAN    SAILORS.  2 Li 

cess  the  leather  was  rendered  soft,  pliant,  and  supple, 
and  proper  for  every  purpose  for  which  they  wanted  to 
employ  it.  Those  &kins  that  we:e  designed  for  furs, 
they  soaked  only  one  day  to  prepare  them  for  being 
wrought,  and  then  proceeded  in  the  mariner  be  fore- 
mentioned,  excepting  only  tfcat  they  did  not  remove  the 
bair.  Thus  they  soon  provided  themselves  with  the  ne- 
cessary materials  for  all  the  parts  of  diess  they  wanted, 

They  made  a  curious  needle  out  of  a  piece  of  wire ; 
and  the  sinews  of  the  bear  and  rein-deer,  which  they 
split  into  several  threads,  served  them  to  sew  with. 

Excepting  an  uneasiness  which  generally  accompanies 
an  involuntary  solitude,  these  people  having  thus,  by 
their  ingenuity,  so  for  overcome  their  wanls.  mi^ht  l;avi? 
had  reason  to  be  contented  with  what.  Providence  had 
tlone  for  them  in  their  distressful  situation.  But  that 
melancholy  reflection,  to  which  each  of  these  A.  i  lorn 
persons  could  not  help  giving  way,  that  perhaps  he  n'ight 
survive  his  companions,  and  then  perish  for  want  of  suii- 
sistance,  or  become  a  prey  to  the  wild  beasts,  incessantly 
disturbed  their  minds.  The  mate,  Alexis  Hiiiiki  ii', 
more  particularly  suffered  ;  having  left  a  wife  and  three 
children  behind,  he  was  deeply  afflicted  at  his  separation 
from  them.  He  declared,  after  bis  return,  that  they 
were  constantly  in  his  mind,  and  that  the  thought  of  never 
inore  seeing  them  rendered  him  very  unhappy. 

When  our  four  mariners  had  passed  nearly  six  years 
in  this  dreary  place,  Peodor  Weregin,  who  had  from  the 
first  been  in  a  languid  condition,  died,  after  suffering 
excruciating  pains  during  the  latter  part  of  his  life. 
Though  they  were  relieved  by  that  event  from  the  trouble 
of  attending  him,  and  the  pain  of  witnessing  without 
being  able  to  alleviate  his  misery,  yet  his  death  affected 
them  not  a  little.  They  saw  their  numbers  diminished, 
and  each  of  the  survivors  wished  to  be  the  next  to  fol- 
low him. 

As  he  died  in  winter,  they  dug  a  grave  in  the  snow  as 
deep  as  they  could,  in  which  they  laid  the  corpse,  and 
then  covered  it  to  the  best  of  their  power,  that  the  w  hitp 
bears  might  not  get  at  it,  The  melancloly  reflect1. 


212        EXTRAORDINARY  ADVENTURES  OF 

occasioned  by  the  death  of  their  comrade  were  still  fresh 
in  their  minds,  and  each  expected  to  pay  this  last  duly 
to  his  remaining  companions  in  misfortune,  or  to  receive 
it  from  them,  when,  on  the  15th  of  August  174i),  a  Rus- 
sian ship  unexpectedly  appeared  in  sight. 

The  vessel  belonged  to  a  trader,  who  had  come  with 
it  to  Archangel,  intending;  that  it  should  winter  in  Nova 
Zembla,  but,  fortunately  for  our  poor  exiles,  the  director 
of  the  whale  fishery  proposed  to  the  merchant  to  let 
his  vessel  winter  at  West-Spitsbergen,  to  which,  after 
many  objections,  he  at  length  agreed. 

The  contrary  winds  they  met  with  ou  their  passage 
made  it  impossible  for  them  to  reach  the  place  of  their 
destination.  The  vessel  was  driven  towards  East-Spits- 
bergen, directly  opposite  to  the  residence  of  our  mari- 
ners, who,  as  soon  as  they  perceived  her,  hastened  to 
light  fires  upon  the  hills  nearest  their  habitation,  and  then 
ran  to  the  beach,  waving  a  flag  made  of  rein-deer's  skin, 
fastened  to  a  pole.  The  people  on  board,  perceiving 
these  signals,  concluded  that  there  were  men  upon  the 
island,  who  implored  their  assistance,  and  therefore 
carne  to  an  anchor  near  the  shore.  It  would  be  in  vain 
to  attempt  to  describe  the  joy  of  these  poor  people,  at 
seeing  the  moment  of  their  deliverance  so  near.  They 
soon  agreed  with  the  master  of  the  ship  to  work  for  him 
during  the  voyage,  and  to  pay  him  eighty  rubles  on  their 
arrival,  for  taking  them  on  board  with  all  their  riches, 
which  consisted  of  fifty  pud,  or,  2000  pounds  weight  of 
rein-deer  fat ;  besides  many  hides  of  :those  animals,  skins 
of  blue  and  white  foxes,  and  those  of  the  ten  white 
bears  they  had  killed.  They  took  care  not  to  forget 
their  bow  and  arrows,  their  spears,  their  knife,  and  axe, 
which  were  almost  worn  out,  their  awls  and  their  needles, 
which  they  carefully  kept  in  a  bone  box,  very  ingeniously 
made  with  their  knife  only ;  and  in  short  every  thing 
they  possessed. 

Our  adventurers  arrived  safe  at  Archangel  on  the  28th 
of  September,  1749,  having  spent  six  years  and  three 
months  in  their  dreary  solitude.  The  moment  of  their 
g  was  aear  provicg  fatal  to  the  loving  antj  belov.edr 


FOUlt   RUSSIAN    SAILORS. 

wife  of  Alexis  Kimkoff,  who  being  present  when  tlie 
vessel  came  into  port,  immediately  knew  her  husband, 
and  ran  with  such  eagerness  to  his  embraces,  that  she 
slipped  into  the  water  and  very  narrowly  escaped  being 
drowned. 

All  three  on  their  arrival  were  strong  and  healthy  ;  but 
having  Jived  so  long  without  bread,  they  could  not  re- 
concile themselves  to  the  use  of  it,  and  complained  that 
it  filled  them  with  wind  ;  nor  could  they  bear  any  spiritu- 
ous liquors,  and  therefore  never  drank  any  thing  but 
water  afterwards. 


214 


LOSS    OF   THE 

HALSEWELL  EAST-INDIAMAN, 

Wrecked  offSeacombe,  in  the  Isle  of  Purbeck,  on  iht 
Coast  of  Dorsetshire,  January  6th,  1786. 

JL  HE  Haisewell  East-Indiamaii,  of  758  tons 
burthen,  Richard  Pierce,  Esq.  commander,  having 
been  laken  up  by  the  Directors  to  make  her  third 
voyage  to  Coast  and  Bay,  fell  down  to  Gravesend  the 
16th  of  November,  1785,  and  there  completed  her 
ladiiig.  Having  taken  the  ladies  and  other  passengers 
on  board  at  the  Hope,  she  sailed  through  the  Downs  on 
Sunday,  January  the  1st,  178G,  and  the  next  morning, 
being  abreast  of  Dunnose,  it  fell  calm. 

The  ship  was  one  of  the  finest  in  the  service,  and 
supposed  to  be  in  the  most  perfect  condition  for  her 
voyage  ;  and  the  commander  a  man  of  distinguished 
ability  and  exemplary  character.  His  officers  possessed 
unquestioned  knowledge  in  their  profession  ;  the  crew, 
composed  of  the  best  seamen  that  could  be  collected, 
Was  as  numerous  as  the  establishment  admits.  The 
vessel  likewise  contained  a  considerable  body  of 
soldiers,  destined  to  recruit  the  forces  of  the  Company 
in  Asia. 

The  passengers  were  Miss  Eliza  Pierce,  and  Miss 
Mary-Arme  Pierce,  daughters  of  the  commander  ;  Miss 
Amy  Paul,  and  Miss  Mary  Paul,  Daughters  of  Mr.  Paul, 
of  Somersetshire,  and  relations  of  Captain  Pierce ;  MIPS 
Elizabeth  Blackburne.  daughter  of  Captain  B.  .•likewise 
in  the  service  of  the  East-India  Company  ;  Miss  "Mary 


LOSS    OF    THE    HALSEWELL.  215 

Haggard,  sister  to  an  officer  on  the  Madras  establish- 
ment; Miss  Ann  Mansell,  a  native  of  Madras,  but  of 
European  parents,  who  had  received  her  education  in 
England;  and  John-Georgs  Sehutz.  Esq.  returning  to 
Asia,  where  he  had  long  resided,  to  collect  a  part  of  his 
fortune  which  he  had  left  behind. 

On  Monday,  the  2d  of  January,  at  three  P.  M.  a 
breeze  springing  .up  from  the  south,  they  ran  in  shore  to 
land  the  pilot.  The  weather  coming  on  very  thick  in 
the  evening,  and  the  wind  baffling,  at  nine  they  were 
obliged  to  anchor  in  eighteen  fathom  water.  They  furled 
their  top  sails,  but  were  unable  to  furl  (heir  courses,  the 
snow  falling  thick  and  freezing  as  it  fell, 

Tuesday,  the  3d.  at  4  A.  M.  a  violent  gale  came  on 
from  E.  N.  E.  and  the  ship  driving,  they  were  obliged 
to  cut  their  cables  and  run  out  to  sea.  At  noon  they 
spoke  with  a  brig  to  Dublin,. and  having  put  their  pilot 
on  board  of  her,  bore  down  channel  immediately.  At 
eight  in  the  evening  the  wind  freshening,  and  coming  to 
the  southward,  they  reefed  such  sails  as  were  judged 
necessary.  At  ten  it  blew  a  violent  gale  at  south,  and 
they  were  obliged  to  carry  a  press  of  sail  to  keep  the 
ship  off  the  shore.  In  this  situation,  the  hawse-plugs, 
which,  according  to  a  recent  improvement,  were  put 
Inside,  were  washed  in,  and  the  hawse-bags  washed 
sway,  in  consequence  of  which  they  shipped  a  great 
quantity  of  water  on  the  gun-deck. 

Upon  sounding  the  well  they  found  -tliat  the  vessel  had     = 
sprung  a  leak,  and  had  five   feet -of  water  m  her  hold  ;   ' 
they  clued  up  the  main  top-sail,  hauled  up  the  main-sail, 
and  immediately  attempted  to  furl  both,  but  failed  in  the 
attempt.     All  the  pumps  were  set  to  work  on  the  disco- 
very of  Vac  leak. 

Wednesday  the  4th,  at  two  A.  M.  they  endeavored  to 
wear  the  ship,  but  without  success.  The  mi z en-mast 
was  instantly  cut  away,  and  a  second  attempt  made  to 
wear,  which  succeeded  no  better  than  the  former.  The 
ship  having  now  seven  feet  water  in  her  hold,  and  the 
leak  gaining  fast  on  the  pumps,  it  was  thought ijEfcpedieiu 
for  the  preservation  of  the  sbip,  which  appeaM  to  be 
in  immediate  danger  of  foundering,  to  cut  away  the 


LOSS    OF  THE    HAUSEWELL. 

main  mast.  In  its  fall  Jonathan  Moreton,  coxswain,  and 
four  men,  were  carried  overboard  by  the  wreck  and 
drowned.  By  eight  o'clock  the  wreck  was  cleared,  and 
the  ship  got  before  the  wind.  In  this  position  she  was 
kept  about  two  hours,  during  which  the  pumps  reduced 
the  water  in  the  hold  two  feet. 

At  ten  in  the  morning  the  wind  abated  considerably, 
and  the  ship  laboring  extremely,  rolled  the  fore  top- mast 
over  on  the  larboard  side,  which,  in  the  fall,  tore  the 
foresail  to  pieces.  At  eleven  the  wind  came  to  the  west- 
ward, and  the  weather  clearing  up,  the  Berry-Head  was 
distinguished,  at  the  distance  of  four  or  five  leagues. 
Having  erected  a  jury  main  mast,  and  set  a  top-gallant 
sail,  for  a  main  sail,  they  bore  up  for  Portsmouth,  and 
employed  the  remainder  of  the  day  in  getting  up  a  jury 
mizen-mast. 

On  Thursday  the  5th,  at  two  in  the  morning  the  wind 
came  to  the  southward,  blew  fresh,  and  the  weather  was 
very  thick.  At  noon  Portland  was  seen,  bearing  north 
by  east,  distant  about  two  or  three  leagues.  At  eight  at 
night  it  blew  a  strong  gale  at  south  ;  the  Portland  lights 
were  seen  bearing  northwest,  distant  four  or  five  leagues, 
when  they  wore  ship  and  got  her  head  to  the  westward. 
Finding  they  lost  ground  on  that  tack,  they  wore  her 
again,  and  kept  stretching  t<>  the  eastward,  in  the  hope 
of  weathering  Peverel- Point,  in  which  case  they  intended 
to  have  anchored  in  Studland  Bay.  At  eleven  they  saw 
jjjBt.  Alban's  Head,  a  mile  and  a  half  to  the  leeward,  upon 
ipwhich  they  took  in  sail  immediately,  and  let  go  the 
small  bower  anchor,  which  brought  up  the  ship  at  a 
whole  cable,  and  she  rode  for  about  an  hour,  and  then 
drove.  They  now  let  go  the  sheet  anchor,  and  wore 
away  a  whole  cable ;  the  ship  rode  about  two  hours  longer 
when  she  drove  again. 

In  this  situation  the  captain  sent  for  Mr.  Henry  Meriton, 
the  chief  officer,  and  asked  his  opinion  concerning  the 
probability  of  saving  their  lives.  He  replied  with  equal 
candor  and  calmness,  that  he  apprehended  there  was 
very  litwpiopes,  as  they  were  then  driving  fast  on  shore, 
and  mig^nrexpect  every  moment  to  strike.  It  was  agreed 
that  the  boats  could  not  then  be  of  any  vise,  but  it  was 


LOSS    OF   THE    HALSEWELL.  217 

proposed  that  the  officers  should  be  confidentially  request- 

ia  case  an  opportunity  presented  itself,  of  making 

it  serviceable,  to  reserve  the  long  boat  for  the  ladies 

and  themselves,  and   this   precaution   was  accordingly 

en. 

About  two  in  the  morning  of  Friday,  the  6th,  the 
ship  still  driving,  and  approaching  the  shore  very  fast, 
the  same  officer  again  went  into  the  cuddy  where  the 
captain  then  was.  Captain  Pierce  expressed  extreme 
anxiety  for  the  preservation  <?f  his  beloved  daughters, 
and  earnestly  asked  Mr.  Meriton,  if  he  could  devise  any 
means  of  saving  them.  The  latter  expressed  his  fears 
that  it  would  be  impossible,  adding,  that  their  only 
chance  would  be  to  wait  for  the  morning,  upon  which 
the  captain  lifted  up  his  hands  in  silent  distress. 

At  this  moment  the  ship  struck  with  such  violence 
as  to  dash  the  heads  of  those  who  were  standing  in 
the  cuddy  against  the  deck  above  them,  and  the  fatal 
blow  was  accompanied  by  a  shriek  of  horror,  which 
burst  at  the  same  instant  from  every  quarter  of  the 
ship. 

The  seamen,  many  of  whom  had  been  remarkably 
inattentive  and  remiss  in  their  dufjr  during  great  part  of 
the  storm,  and  had  actually  skulked  in  their  hammocks, 
leaving  the  exertions  of  the  pump,  and  the  other  labors 
required  by  their  situation,  to  the  officers,  roused  to  a 
sense  of  their  danger,  now  poured  upon  the  deck,  to 
which  the  utmost  endeavors  of  their  officers  could  not 
keep  them  while  their  a^i~',uur  might  have  been  use- 
ful. But  it  was  now  too  late  ;  the  ship  continued  to 
beat  upon  the  rocks,  and  soon  bulged,  foKing  with  her 
broadside  towards  the  shore.  When  the  fclr'p  struck, 
several  of  the  men  caught  hold  cf  the  ensign-  staff", 
under  the  apprehension  of  her  going  to  pieces  iinme- 


At  this  critical  juncture  P»Ir.  l>Zeiiton  offered  his  un- 
happy companions  the  best  advice  that  possibly  could 
be  given,  lie  recommended  that  they  should  all  repair 
to  that  side  of  the  ship  which  lay  lowest  cntMtocks,  and 
take  the  opportunities  thr.t  nJght  {hen  presen^Bfciyjselves 
of  escaping  singly  to  the  shore.  He  then  returnca  (othe 

rp 

•*- 


218  LOSS    OF   THE  HALSEWELL, 

round-house,  where  all  the  passengers  and  most  of  the 
officers  were  assembled.  The  latter  were  employed  in 
affording  consolation  to  the  unfortunate  ladies,  and  with 
unparalleled  magnanimity,  suffering  their  compassion 
for  the  amiable  companions  of  their  own  danger,  and 
the  dread  of  almost  inevitable  destruction.  At  this  mo- 
ment what  must  have  been  the  feelings  of  a  father — of 
such  a  father  as  Captain  Pierce  ? 

The  ship  had  struck  on  the  rocks  near  Seacombe,  on 
the  island  of  Purbeck,  between  Peverel-point  and  St. 
Alban's-Head.  On  this  part  of  the  shore  the  <iliff  is  of 
immense  height,  and  rises  almost  perpendicularly.  In 
this  particular  spot  the  cliff  is  excavated  at  the  base, 
presenting  a  cavern  ten  or  twrelve  yards  in  depth,  and 
equal  in  breadth  to  the  length  of  a  large  ship.  The  sides 
of  the  cavern  are  so  nearly  upright  as  to  be  extremely  diffi- 
cult of  access,  and  the  bottom  of  it  is  strewed  with 
sharp  and  uneven  rocks  which  appear  to  have  been  rent 
from  above  by  some  convulsion  of  nature.  It  was  at 
the  mouth  of  this  cavern  that  the  unfortunate  vessel 
fay  stretched  almost  from  side  to  side,  and  presented 
her  broadside  to  the  horrid  chasm.  But,  at  the  time 
the  ship  struck  it  was  too  dark  to  -discover  the  extent 
of  their  danger,  and  the  extreme  horror  of  their  situa- 
tion. 

The  number  in  the  round-house  was  now  increased 
to  nearly  fifty,  by  the  admission  of  three  black  women 
and  two  soldiers'  wives,  with  the  husband  of  one  of  the 
latter,  though  the  sailors,  who  had  demanded  entrance 
lo  get  a  light,  had  been  opposed  and  kept  out  by  the 
officers.  Captain  Pierce  was  seated  on  a  chair,  or  some 
other  moveable,  between  his  two  daughters,  whom  he 
pressed  alternately  to  his  affectionate  bosom.  The 
rest  of  the  melancholy  assembly  were  seated  on  the 
deck,  which  was  strewed  with  musical  instruments,  and 
the  wreck  of  furniture,  boxes,  and  packages. 

Here  Mr.  Meriton,  after  having  lighted  several  wax 
candles,  and  all  the  glass  lanthorns  he  could  find,  like 
wisetookglpis  seat,  intending  to  wait  till  day-light,  in  the 
hope  thaWt  would  afford  him  an  opportunity  of  effect- 
ing his  own  escape,  and  also  rendering  assistance  to  the 


LOSS   OP   THE    HALSEWELL,  219 

partners  of  his  danger.  But,  observing  that  the  ladies 
appeared  parched  and  exhausted,  he  fetched  a  basket  of 
oranges  from  some  part  of  the  rouml-house,  with  which 
he  prevailed  on  some  of  them  to  refresh  themselves. 

On  his  return  he  perceived  a  considerable  alteration 
in  the  appearance  of  the  ship.  The  sides  were  visibly 
giving  way,  the  deck  seemed  to  heave,  and  he  disco 
vered  other  evident  symptoms  that  she  could  not  hold 
together  much  longer.  Attempting  to  go  forward  to 
look  out,  he  instantly  perceived  that  the  ship  had  separat- 
ed in  the  middle  and  that  the  fore-part  had  changed  its 
position,  and  lay  rather  farther  out  towards  the  sea. 
In  this  emergency  he  determined  -to  seize  the 
present  moment,  as  the  next  might  have  been  charg- 
ed with  his  fate,  and  to  follow  the  example  of  the  crew 
and  the  soldiers,  who  were  leaving  the  ship  in  numbers, 
and  making  their  way  to  a  shore,  with  the  horrors  of 
which  they  were  yet  unacquainted. 

To  favor  their  escape  an  attempt  had  been  made  to 
lay  the  ensign-staff  from  the  ship's  side  to  the  rocks,  but 
without  success,  for  it  snapped  to  pieces  before  it  reach- 
ed them.  By  the  light  of  a  lanthorn,  however,  Mr.  Meri- 
ton,  discovered  a  spar,  which  appeared  to  be  laid  from 
the  ship's  side  to  the  rocks,  and  upon  which  he  deter- 
mined to  attempt  his  escape,  He  accordingly  lay  down 
upon  it,  and  thrust  himself  forward,  but  soon  found 
that  the  spar  had  no  communication  with  the  rock.  He 
reached  the  end  and  then  slipped  off,  receiving  a  violent 
contusion  in  his  fall.  Before  he  could  recover  his  legs 
he  was  washed  off  by  the  surge,  in  which  he  supported 
himself  by  swimming  till  the  returning  wave  dashed  him 
against  the  back  of  the  cavern.  Here  he  laid  hold  of 
a  small  projection  of  the  rock,  but  was  so  benumbed 
that  he  was  on  the  point  of  quitting  it,  when  a  seaman, 
who  had  already  gained  a  footing,  extended  his  hand  ami 
assisted  him  till  he  could  secure  himself  on  a  little  shelf 
of  the  rock,  from  which  he  clambered  still  higher  till  he 
was  out  of  the  reach  of  the  surf. 

Mr.  Rogers,  the  third  mate,  remained  witty  the  cap- 
tain and  the  ladies  nearly  twenty  minutes  after  Mr. 
Meritoi*  had  left  the  ship.  The  latter  had  not  long 


220  LOSS    OF   THE    HALSEWELL. 

quitted  the  roundhouse,  before  the  captain  inquired 
what  was  become  of  him,  when  Mr.  Rogers  replied,  that 
he  had  gone  upon  deck  to  see  what  could  be  done.  A 
heavy  sea  soon  afterwards  broke  over  the  ship,  upon 
which  the  ladies  expressed  great  concern  at  the  appre- 
hension of  his  loss.  Mr.  Rogers  proposed  to  go  and 
rail  him,  but  this  they  opposed,  fearful  lest  he  might 
share  the  same  fate. 

The  sea  now  broke  in  at  the  fore  part  of  the  ship, 
r-id  reached  as  far  as  the  main  mast.  Captain  Pierce 
and  Mr.  Rogers  then  went  together,  with  a  lanap,  to 
the  stern  gallery,  where,  after  viewing  the  rocks,  the 
rnpJ^in  askt-d  Mr.  Rogers  if  he  thought  there  was  any 
possibility  of  saving  the  girls.  He  replied,  lie  feared 
not  ;  for  they  could  discover  nothing  but  the  black  sur- 
face of  the  perpendicular  rock,  and  not  the  cavern 
which  afforded  shelter  to  those  who  had  escaped.  They 
then  returned  to  the  round-house,  where  captain  Pierce 
again  seated  himself  between  his  two  daughters,  strug- 
gling to  suppress  the  parental  tear  which  then  started  into 
his  eye. 

The  sea  continuing  to  break  in  very  fast,  Mr.  Rogers, 
Mr.  Schutz,  and  Mr.  M'Manus,  a  midshipman,  with  a 
view  to  attempt  their  escape,  made  their  way  to  the 
poop.  They  had  scarcely  reached  it,  when  a  heavy  sea 
breaking  over  the  wreck,  the  round-house  gave  way, 
and  they  heard  the  ladies  shriek  at  intervals*,  as  if  the 
water  had  reached  them  ;  the  noise  of  the  sea  at  other 
times  drowning  their  voices. 

Mr.  B rimer  had  followed  Mr.  Rogers  to  the  poop, 
where,  on  the  coming  of  the  fatal  sea,  they  jointly 
.seized  a  hen-coop,  and  the  same  wave  which  whelm- 
i  1  f.iose  who  remained  below  in  destruction,  carried 
him  and  his  companion  to  the  rock,  on  which  they 
were  dashed  with  great  violence  and  miserably  bruis- 
ed. 

On  this  rock  were  twenty- seven  men  ;  but  it  was  low 
Crater,  and  being  convinced  that,  upon  the  flowing  of 
me  tide,  they  must  all  be  washed  off,  many  endeavored 
to  «;et  to  the  back  or  sides  of  the  cavern  beyond  the  reach 
of  the  returning  sea.  Excepting  Mr.  Rogers  and  Mr. 


LOSS    OF   THE    HALSEWELL,  221 

B rimer,  scarcely  more  than  six  succeeded  in  this  at- 
tempt. Of  the  remainder,  some  experienced  the  fate 
they  sought  to  avoid,  others  perished  in  endeavoring  to 
get  into  the  cavern. 

Mr.  Rogers  and  Mr.  Brimer,  however,  having  reach- 
ed the  cavern,  climbed  up  the  rock,  on  the  narrow 
shelves  of  which  they  fixed  themselves.  The  former 
got  so  near  to  his  friend,  Mr.  Meriton,  as  to  exchange 
congratulations  with  him;  but  between  these  gentle- 
men there  were  about  twenty  men,  none  of  whom 
could  stir  but  at  the  most  imminent  hazard  of  his  lite 
When  Mr.  Rogers  reached  this  station  his  strength  was 
so  nearly  exhausted,  that  had  the  struggle  continued 
a  few  mintes  longer  he  must  inevitably  have  per- 
ished. 

They  soon  found  that  though  majiy  who  had  reached 
the  rocks  below,  had  perished  in  attempting  to  ascend, 
yet  that  a  considerable  number  of  the  crew,  seamen, 
soldiers,  and  some  of  the  inferior  officers,  were  in  the 
same  situation  with  themselves.  What  that  situation 
was  they  had  still  to  learn.  They  had  escaped  immedi: 
ate  death  ;  but  they  were  yet  to  encounter  a  thousand 
hardships  for  the  precarious  chance  of  escape.  Some 
part  of  the  ship  was  still  discernible,  and  they  cheered 
themselves,  in  this  dreary  situation,  with  the  hope  that 
it  would  hold  together  till  day-break.  Amidst  their  own 
misfortunes  the  sufferings  of  the  females  filled  their 
minds  with  the  acutest  anguish  ;  every  returning  sea 
increased  their  apprehensions  for  the  safety  of  their  ami- 
able and  helpless  companions. 

But,  alas  !  too  soon  were  these  apprehensions  realiz- 
ed. A  few  minutes  after  Mr.  Rogers  had  gained  the 
rock,  a  general  shriek,  in  which  the  voice  of  female 
distresses  was  lamentably  distinguishable,  announced 
the  dreadful  catastrophe !  In  a  few  moments  all  was 
hushed,  excepting  the  warring  winds  and  the  dashing 
waves.  The  wreck  was  whelmed  in  the  bosom  of  the 
deep,  and  not  an  atom  of  it  was  ever  dicovered.  Thus 
perished  the  Halsewell — and  with  her,  worth,  hcnor, c 
beauty,  a^id  accomplishments  ! 


223  LOSS    OF   THE    IULSEWELL,. 

This  stroke  was  a  dreadful  aggravation  of  woe  to  the 
trembling  and  scarcely  half-saved  wretches,  who  were 
clinging  about  the  sides  of  the  horrid  cavern.  They  felt 
for  themselves,  but  they  wept  for  wives,  parents,  fathers, 
brothers,  sisters — perhaps  lovers  ! — all  cut  off  from  their 
dearest,  fondest  hopes  ! 

Their  feelings  were  not  less  agonized  by  the  subse- 
quent events  of  that  ill-fated  night.  Many  who  had 
gained  the  precarious  stations  on  the  rocks,,  exhausted  with 
fatigue,  weakened  by  bruises,  and  benumbed  with  cohl, 
quitted  their  holds,  and  falling  headlong,  either  upon  the 
rocks  below,  or  into  the  surf,  perished  beneath  the  feet 
of  their  wretched  associates,  and  by  their  dying  groans 
and  loud  exclamations,  awakened  terrific  apprehensions 
of  a  similar  fate  in  the  survivors. 

At  length,  after  three  hours  of  the  keenest  misery, 
the  day  broke  on  them,  but,  far  from  bringing  with  it 
the  expected  relief,  it  served  only  to  discover  to  them 
all  the  horrors  of  their  situation.  They  wtjfre  convinced 
that,  had  the  country  been  alarmed  by  the  guns  of  dis- 
tress, which  they  continued  to  fire  several  hours  before 
the  ship  struck,  but  which,  from  the  violence  of  the 
storm,  were  unheard,  they  could  neither  be  observed 
by  the  people  above,  as  they  were  completely  ingulph- 
ed  in  the  cavern,  and  overhung  by  the  cliff;  nor  was 
any  part  of  the  wreck  remaining  to  indicate  their  prob- 
able place  of  refuge.  Below,  no  boat  could  live  to 
search  them  out,  and  had  it  been  possible  to  acquaint 
those  who  were  willing  to  assist  them  with  their  exact 
situation,  they  were  at  a  loss  to  conceive  how  any  ropes 
could  be  conveyed  into  the  cavern  to  facilitate  their 
escape. 

The  only  method  that  afforded  any  prospect  of  suc- 
cess was  to  creep  along  the  side  to  its  outer  extremity, 
to  turn  the  corner  on  a  ledge  scarcely  as  broad  as  a 
man's  hand,  and  to  climb  up  the  almost  perpendicular 
precipices,  nearly  two  hundred  feet  in  height.  In 
this  desperate  attempt  some  succeeded,  while  others, 
trembling  with  terror,  and  exhausted  with  bodily 
and  me.ntaj  fetigue,  lost  their  precarious  footing  ami 
perished. 


LOSS   OF   THE   HALSEWELL.  2.23 

The  first  men  who  gained  the  summit  of  the  cliff 
were  the  cook,  and  James  Thompson,  a  quarter- master. 
By  their  individual  exertions  they  reached  the  top,  and 
instantly  hastened  to  the  nearest  house,  to  make  known 
the  situation  of  their  fellow-sufferers.  Eastington,  the 
habitation  of  Mr.  Garland,  steward,  or  agent,  to  the 
proprietors  of  the  Purbeek  quarries,  was  the  house  at 
which  they  first  arrived.  That  gentleman  immediately 
assembled  the  workmen  under  his  direction,  and  with 
the  most  zealous  humanity  exerted  every  effort  for  the 
preservation  of  the  surviving  part  of  the  crew  of  the 
unfortunate  ship. 

Mr.  Meriton  had,  by  this  time,  almost  reached  the 
edge  of  the  precipice.  A  soldier,  who  preceded  him, 
stood  upon  a  small  projecting  rock,  or  stone,  and  upon 
the  same  stone  Mr.  Meriton  had  fastened  his  hands  to 
assist  his  progress.  Just  at  this  moment  the  quarry mcii 
arrived,  and  seeing  a  man  so  nearly  within  their  reach 
they  dropped  3,  rope,  of  which  he  immediately  laid  hold. 
By  a  vigorous  effort  to  avail  himself  of  the  advantage, 
he  loosened  the  stone,  which  giving  way,  Mr.  Meritou 
must  haye  been  precipitated  to  the  bottom,  had  not  a 
rope  been  lowered  to  him  at  the  instant,  which  he  seiz- 
ed, while  in  the  act  of  falling,  and  was  safely  drawn  to  the 
summit. 

The  fate  of  Mr.  Briiner  was  peculiarly  severe.  He 
had  been  married  only  nine  days  before  the  ship  sailed, 
to  the  daughter  of  Captain  Norman,  of  the  Royal  Navy, 
came  on  shore,  as  it  has  been  observed,  with  Mr.  Ro- 
gers, and,  like  him,  got  up  the  side  of  the  cavern. 
Here  he  remained  till  the  morning,  when  he  crawled 
out;  a  rope  was  thrown  him,  but  he  was  either  so 
benumbed  with  the  cold  as  to  fasten  it  about  him  im- 
properly, or  so  agitated  as  to  neglect  to  fasten  it  at  all. 
Whatever  was  the  cause,  th-3  effect  proved  fatal ;  at  the 
moment  of  his  supposed  preservation  he  fell  from  his 
stand,  and  was  unfortunately  dashed  to  pieces,  in  sight 
of  those  who  could  only  lament  the  deplorable  fate  qf 
an  amiable  man  and  skilful  officer. 

The  method  of  affording  help  was  remarkable,  anil 
does  honor  to  the  humanity  and  intrepidity  ef  the  m 


LOSS   OF   THE    HALSEWELL. 

rymen.  The  distance  from  the  top  of  the  rock  to  the 
cavern,  over  which  it  projected,  was  at  least  one  hun- 
dred feet :  ten  of  these  formed  a  declivity  to  the  edge, 
and  the  remainder  was  perpendicular.  On  the  very 
brink  of  this  precipice  stood  too  daring  fellows,  with 
a  rope  tied  round  them,  and  fastened  above  to  a  strong 
iron  bar  fixed  into  the  ground.  Behind  these,  in  like 
manner,  stood  others,  two  and  two.  A  strong  rope,  like- 
wise properly  secured,  passed  between  them,  by  which 
(hey  might  hold,  and  support  themselves  from  falling. 
Another  rope,  with  a  noose  ready  fixed,  was  then  let 
down  below  the  cavern,  and  the  wind  blowing  hard, 
it  was  sometimes  forced  under  the  projecting  rock,  so 
(hat  the  sufferers  could  reach  it  without  crawling  to  the 
edge.  Whoever  laid  hold  of  it  put  the  nose  round  his 
waist,  and  was  drawn  up  with  the  utmost  care  and  cau- 
tion by  their  intrepid  deliverers. 

In  this  attempt,  however,  many  shared  the  fate  of 
the  unfortunate  Mr.  Brimer.  Unable,  through  cold, 
perturbation  of  mufti,  weakness,  or  the  inconvenience 
of  the  stations  they  occupied,  to  avail  themselves  of 
the  succor  that  was  offered  them,  they  were  precipitat- 
ed from  the  stupendous  cliff,  and  either  dashed  to  pie- 
ces on  the  rocks,  or  falling  into  the  surge,  perished  in 
the  waves. 

Among  these  unhappy  sufferers  the  death  of  a  drum- 
mer was  attended  with  circumstances  of  peculiar  dis- 
tress. '  Being  either  washed  off  the  rocks  by  the  sea, 
or  falling  into  the  surf,  he  was  carried  by  the  returning 
waves  beyond  the  breakers.  His  utmost  efforts  to  re- 
gain them  were  ineffectual,  he  was  drawn  farther  out  to 
sea,  and  being  a  remarkable  good  swimmer,  continued 
to  struggle  with  the  wares,  in  the  view  of  his  commiserat- 
hig  companions,  till  his  strength  was  exhausted,  and  he 
sunk, — to  rise  no  more  ! 

It  was  late  in  the  day  when  all  the  survivors  were  car- 
ried to  a  place  of  safety,  excepting  William  Trenton, 
a  soldier,  who  remained  on  his  perilous  stand  till  the 
morning  of  Saturday,  the  7th,  exposed  to  the  united 
horrors  of  extreme  personal  danger,  and  the  most  acute 
tlisqyiietude  of  mind. 


LOSS    OF    THE    HALSEWELL.  225 

The  surviving  officers,  seamen,  and  soldiers,  being 
assembled  at  the  house  of  their  benevolent  deliverer, 
Mr.  Garland,  they  were  mustered,  and  found  to  amount 
to  74,  out  of  rather  more  than  240,  which  was  nearly 
the  number  of  the  crew,  and  passengers,  when  she  sail- 
ed through  the  Downs.  Of  the  rest  it  is  supposed  that 
fifty  or  more  sunk  with  the  Captain  and  the  ladies  in 
the  round-house,  and  that  upwards  of  seventy  reached 
the  rocks,  but  were  v; ashed  off,  or  perished,  ia  fall- 
ing from  the  cliffs.  All  those  who  reached  the  summit 
survived,  excepting  two  or  three,  who  expired  while  being 
drawn  up,  and  a  black,  who  died  a  few  hours  after  he  was 
brought  to  the  house.  Many,  however,  were  so  misera- 
bly bruised,  that  their  lives  were  doubtful,  and  it  was  a 
considerable  time  before  they  perfectly  recovered  their 
strength. 

The  benevolence  and  generosity  of  the  master  of  the 
Crown  Inn,  at  Blanford,  deserves  the  highest  prate? . 
When  the  distressed  seamen  arrived  at  that  town  he 
sent  for  them  all  to  his  house,  and  having  given  them  the 
refreshment  of  a  comfortable  dinner,  he  presented  each 
man  with  half  «  crown  to  help  him  %on  his  journey, 


JLOSS   OF   THE 

NOTTINGHAM  GALLEY,  OF  LONDON; 

WRECKED  ON  BOON  ISLAND,  NEAR  NEW-ENGLAND, 
DEC.  13th,  1710; 

And  the  Sufferings,  Preservation,  and  Deliverance, 
of  the  Crew. 

J$y  Captain  John  Dean. 

A  H  E  Nottingham  Galley,  of  and  from  London, 
of  120  tons,  ten  guns,  fourteen  men,  John  Dean,  coin- 
mander,  having  taken  in  cordage  in  England,  and  butter, 
cheese,  &LC.  in  Ireland,  sailed  for  Boston  in  New-Eng- 
land, the  25th  of  September,  1710.  Meeting  with  con- 
trary winds  and  bad  weather,  it  was  the  beginning  of 
December  when  we  first  made  land  to  the  eastward  of 
Piscataqua,  and  proceeding  southward  for  the  bay  of 
Massachusetts,  under  a  hard  gale  of  wind  at  northeast, 
accompanied  with  rain,  hail,  and  snow,  having  no  ob- 
servation for  ten  or  twelve  days,  we,  on  the  llth,  hand- 
ed all  our  sails,  excepting  our  fore  sail  and  maintop-sail 
double  reefed,  ordering  one  hand  forward  to  look  out. 
Between  eight  and  nine  o'clock,  going  forward  myself,  I 
saw  the  breakers  ahead,  whereupon  I  called  out  to  put 
the  helm  hard  to  starboard,  but  before  the  ship  could 
wear,  we  struck  upon  the  east  end  of  the  rock,  called 
Boon  Island,  four  leagues  to  the  eastward  of  Pis- 
cataqua. 


LOSS   OF   THE   NOTTINGHAM   GALLEY.  227 

The  second  or  third  sea  heaved  the  ship  alongside  of 
it ;  running  likewise  so  very  high,  and  the  ship  laboring 
so  excessively,  that  we  were  not  able  to  stand  upon 
deck  ;  and  though  it  was  riot  distant  above  thirty  or  for- 
ty yards,  yet  the  weather  was  so  thick  and  dark,  that 
we  could  not  see  the  rock,  so  that  we  were  justly  thrown 
into  consternation  at  the  melancholy  prospect  of  immedi- 
ately perishing  in  the  sea.  I  presently  called  all  hands 
down  to  the  cabin,  where  we  continued  a  few  minutes, 
earnestly  supplicating  the  mercy  of  heaven  ;  but  know- 
ing that  prayers,  without,  are  vain,  I  ordered  all  up 
again  to  cut  the  masts  by  the  board,  but  several  were  so 
oppressed  by  the  terrors  of  conscience  that  they  were 
incapable  of  any  exertion.  We,  however,  went  upon 
deck,  cut  the  weathermost  shrouds,  and  the  ship  heeling 
towards  the  rocks,  the  force  of  the  sea  soon  broke  the 
masts,  so  that  they  fell  right  towards  the  shore. 

One  of  the  men  went  out  on  the  bowsprit,  and  return- 
iug,  told  me  he  saw  something  black  ahead;  and  would 
venture  to  get  on  shore,  accompanied  with  any  other 
person  :  upon  which  I  desired  some  of  the  best  swim- 
mers (my  mate  and  one  more)  to  go  with  him,  and  if 
they  gained  the  rock,  to  give  notice  by  their  calfs,  and 
direct  us  to  the  moist  secure  place.  Recollecting  some 
money  and  papers  that  might  be  of  use,  also  ammuni- 
tion, brandy,  &LC.  I  then  went  down  and  opened  the 
place  in  which  they  were ;  but  the  ship  bulging,  lier 
decks  opened,  her  back  broke,  and  her  beams  gave 
way,  so  that  the  stern  sunk  under  water.  I  was,  there- 
fore, hastened  forward  to  escape  instant  death,  and  hav- 
ing heard  nothing  of  the  men  who  had  gone  before,  con- 
cluded them  lost.  Notwithstanding  I  was  under  the 
necessity  of  making  the  same  adventure  upon  the  fore- 
mast, moving  gradually  forward  betwixt  every  sea,  till 
at  last  quitting  it,  I  threw  myself  with  all  the  strength 
I  had,  towards  the  rock  ;  but  it  being  low  water,  and  the 
rock  extremely  slippery,  I  could  get  no  hold,  and  tore 
my  fingers,  hands,  and  arms,  in  the  most  deplorable 
manner,  every  wash  of  the  sea  fetching  me  off  again,  so 
that  it  was  with  the  utmost  peril  and  difficulty  that  I  got, 
safe  on  shore  at  last.  ,  The  rest  of  the  men  ran  the  same 


£28       LOSS  OF  THE  NOTTINGHAM  GALLEY. 

hazards,  but  through  the  mercy  of  Providence  we  rfl 
escaped  with  our  lives. 

After  endeavoring  to  discharge  fhe  salt  water  and 
creeping  a  little  way  up  the  rock,  1  heard  the  voices  oC 
the  three  men  ahove  mentioned,  and  by  ten  o'clock  we 
all  met  together,  when,  with  grateful  hearts,  we  return- 
ed humble  thanks  to  Providence  for  our  deliverance  from 
such  imminent  danger.  We  then  endeavored  to  gain 
shelter  to  the  leeward  of  the  rock,  but  found  it  so  small 
and  inconsiderable,  that  it  would  afford  none,  (being 
but  about  one  hundred  yards  long  and  fifty  broad,)  and 
so  very  craggy  that  we  could  not  walk  to  keep  ourselves 
warm,  the  weather  still  continuing  extremely  cold,  with 
snow  and  rain. 

As  soon  as  day-light  appeared  I  went  towards  the  place 
where  we  came  on  shore,  not  doubting  but  that  we 
should  meet  with  provisions  enough  from  the  wrreck 
for  our  support,  but  found  only  some  pieces  of  the 
masts  and  yards  among  some  old  junk  and  cables  con- 
gered  together,  which  -the  anchors  had  prevented  from 
being  carried  away,  and  kept  moving  about  the  rock  at 
some  distance.  Part  of  the  ship's  stores,  with  some 
pieced  of  plank  and  timber,  old  sails,  canvas,  &c.  drove 
-on  shore,  but  nothing  eatable,  excepting  some  small 
pieces  of  cheese  which  we  picked  up  among  the  rock- 
weed,  in  the  whole  to  the  quantity  of  three  small 
cheeses. 

We  used  our  utmost  endeavors  to  get  fire,  having 
a  steel  and  flint  with  us,  and  also  by  a  drill,  with  a 
very  swift  motion  ;  but  having  nothing  but  what  had 
long  been  water-soaked,  all  our  attemps  proved  in- 
effectual. 

At  night  we  stowed  one  upon  another,  under  our 
canvas,  in  the  best  manner  possible,  to  keep  each  other 
warm.  The  next  day  the  weather  clearing  a  little,  and 
inclining  to  frost,  I  want  out,  and  perceiving  the  main 
land,  I  knew  where  we  were,  and  encouraged  my  men 
with  the  hope  of  being  discovered  by  fishing  shallops, 
desiring  them  to  search  for  and  bring  up  what  planks^ 
carpenter's  tools,  and  stores  they  could  find,  in  order  to 
build  a  tent  and  a  boat.  The  coojk  then  complained  that 


LOSS    OF   THE    NOTTINGHAM    GALLEY. 

ke  was  almost  starved,  and  his  countenance  discovering 
his  illness,  I  ordered  him  to  remain  behind  with  two  or 
three  more  whom  the  frost  had  seized.  About  noon  the 
men  acquainted  rne  that  he  was  dead :  we  therefore  laid 
him  in  a  convenient  place  for  the  sea  to  carry  him  away. 
None  mentioned  eating  him,  though  several,  with 
myself,  afterwards  acknowledged  that  they  had  thoughts 
of  it. 

After  we  had  been  in  this  situation  two  or  three  day*, 
the  frost  being  very  severe,  and  the  weather  extremely 
jcold,  it  seized  most  of  our  hands  and  feet  to  such  a 
degree  as  to  take  away  the  sense  of  feeling,  and  render 
.them  almost  useless  ;  so  benumbing  and  discoloring 
-them  as  gave  us  just  reason  to  apprehend  mortification. 
We  pulled  off  our  shoes,  and  cut  off  our  boots  ;  but  in 
getting  off  our  stockings,  many,  whose  legs  were  blis- 
tered, pulled  off  skin  and  all,  and  some,  the  nails  of  their 
toes.  We  then  wrapped  up  our  legs  and  feet  as  warmly 
,as  we  could  in  oakum  and  canvas. 

We  now  began  to  build  our  tent  in  a  triangular  form, 
each  side  being  about  eight  feet,  covered  it  with  the  old 
sails  and  canvas  that  came  on  shore,  having  just  room 
for  each  to  lie  down  on  one  sidle,  so  that  none  could  turn, 
excepting  all  turned,  which  was  about  eyery  two  hours, 
upon  notice  given.  We  also  fixed  a  .staff  to  the  top  of 
our  tent,  upon  which,  as  often  as  the  weather  would 
permit,  we  hoisted  a  piece  of  cloth  in  the  form  of  ja.  flag, 
jn  order  to  discover  ourselves  to  acy  vessel  that  might 
approach. 

We  then  commenced  the  building  of  our  boat  with 
planks  ami  timber  belonging  to  the  wreck.  Our  only 
tools  were  the  blade  of  a  cutlass,  made  into  a  saw  with 
our  knives,  a  hammer,  and  a  caulking  mallet.  We 
found  some  naijs  In  the  clefts  of  the  rock,  and  obtained 
others  from  the  sheathing.  We  laid  three  planks  fiat 
for  the  bottom,  and  two  up  each  side,  fixed  to  staunch- 
ings  and  let  into  the  bottom  timbers,  with  two  short 
pieces  at  each  end,  and  one  breadth  of  new  Holland 
duck  round  the  sides  to  keep  out  the  spray  of  the  &ea. 
We  caulked  all  we  could  with  oakum  drawn  from  the  old 
junk,  and  in  other  places  filled  up  the  distaaees  with 
U 


£30      LOS9  OF  THE  NOTTINGHAM  GALLEY. 

long  pieces  of  canvas,  all  of  which  we  secured  in  the 
best  manner  possible.  We  found  also  some  sheet-lead 
and  pump-leather,  which  proved  of  use.  We  fixed  a 
short  mast  and  square  sail,  with  seven  paddles  to  row, 
and  another  longer  to  steer.  But  our  carpenter,  whose 
•  services  were  now  most  wanted,  was,  by  reason  of 
illness,  scarcely  capable  of  affording  us  either  assistance 
or  advice ;  and  all  the  rest,  excepting  myself  and  two 
more,  were  so  benumbed  and  feeble  as  to  be  unable  to 
stir.  The  weather,  too,  ;was  so  extrejnely  cold,  that  we 
could  seldom  stay  out  of  the  tent  above  four  hours  in 
the  day,  and  some  days  we  could  do  nothing  at  all. 

When  we  had  been  upon  the  rock  about  a  week,  with- 
out any  kind  of  provisions,  excepting  the  cheese  above- 
mentioned,  and  some  beef  bones,  which  we  eat,  after 
beating  them  to  pieces,  we  saw  three  boats,  about  five 
leagues  from  us,  which,  as  may  easily  be  imagined, 
rejoiced  us  not  a  little,  believing  that  th<?  period  of  our 
deliverance  had  arrived.  I  directed  all  the  men  to 
creep  out  of  the  tent  and  halloo  together,  as  loud  as 
(heir  strength  would  permit.  We  likewise  made  all  the 
signals  we  could,  but  in  vain,  for  they  neither  heard  nor 
,  saw  us.  We,  however,  received  no  small  encourage- 
ment from  the  sight  of  them,  as  they  came  from  the 
southwest ;  and  the  wind  being  at  northeast  when  we 
were  cast  away,  we  had  reason  to  suppose  that  our  dis- 
tress might  have  been  made  known  by  the  wreck  driv- 
ing on  shore,  and  to  presume  that  they  were  come  out 
in  search  of  us,  and  would  daily  do  so  when  the  weath- 
er should  permit.  Thus  we  ^flattered  ourselves  with  the 
pleasing  but  delusive  hope  of  deliverance. 

Just  before  we  had  finished  our  boat,  the  carpenter's 
axe  was  cast  upon  the  rock,  by  which  we  were  enabled 
to  complete  our  work,  but  then  we  had  scarcely  strength 
sufficient  to  get  her  into  the  water. 

About  the  21st  of  December,  the  boat  being  finished,  , 
the  day  fine,  and  the  water  smoother  than  I  had  yet 
seen  it  since  we  came  there,  we  consulted  who  should 
attempt  to  launch  her,  I  offered  myself  as  one  to  ven- 
ture in  her;  this  was  agreed  to,  as  I  was  the  strongest, 
and  therefore  the  fittest  to  undergo  the  extremities  to 


&OSS    OF   THE    NOTTINGHAM    GALLED; 

which  we  might  possibly  be  reduced.  My  mate 
offered  himself,  and  desiring  to  accompany  me,  I  was 
permitted  to  take  him,  together  with  my  brother  and 
four  more.  Thus  coirmcnding  our  enterprize  to  Provi- 
dence, all  that  were  able  came  out,  and  with  much  diffi- 
culty got  our  poor  patched-iip  boat  to  the  water-side. 
The  surf  running  very  high,  we  were  obliged  to  wade 
very  deep  to  launch  her,  upon  which  1  and  another  got 
into  her.  The  swell  of  the  sea  heaved  her  along  shore 
and  overset  her  opon  us,  whereby  we  again  narrowly 
escaped  drowning.  Our  poor  boat  was  staved  all  to 
pieces,  our  enterprize  totally  disappointed,  and  our 
Jiopes  utterly  destroyed. 

What  heightened  our  afflictions,  and  served  to  aggra- 
vate our  miserable  prospects,  and  render  our  deliverance 
less  practicable,  we  lost,  with  our  boat,  both  our  axe 
and  hammer,  which  would  have  been  of  great  use  to  urs 
if  we  should  afterwards  have  attempted  to  construct  a 
raft.  Yet  we  had  reason  to  admire  the  goodness  of  God 
in  producing  our  disappointment  for  our  safety  ;  for, 
ih'it  afternoon,  the  wind  springing  up,  it  blew  so  hard, 
tha<,  had  we- been  at  sea  in  that  imitation  of  a  bor.t, 
»mist,  in.  all  probability,  have  perished,  and  those 
•left  behind,  being  unable  to  lu-Ip  themselves,  must  duubl 
loss  soon  have  shared  a  similar  fate. 

We  were  now  reduced  to  tke  most  melancholy  and 
situation  imaginable  ;  almost  every  man  but 
:  If  was  weak  to  an  extremity,  nearly  starved  with 
hunger  and  perishing  with  cold  ;  their  Lumls  and  feet 
frozen  end  morticed  ;  large  and  deep  ulcers  in  their  legs, 
the  smell  of  which  was  highly  offensive  to  those  who 
could  not  creep  into  the  air,  and  nothing  to  dress  them 
with  but  a  piece  of  linen  that  was  cast  on  shore.  We 
had  no  fire ;  our  small  stock  of  cheese  was  exhausted, 
and  we  had  nothing  to  support  our  feeble  bodies  but 
rock  weed  and  a  few  muscles,  scarce  and  difficult  to  be 
procured,  at  most  Dot  above  two  or  three  for  each  man 
a  day  ;  so  that  6ur  miserable  bodies  were  perishing,  and 
our  disconsolate  spirits  overpowered  by  the  deplorable 
prospect  of  starving,  without  any  appearance  of  relief. 
To  aggravate  our  situation,  if  possible,  v-re  had  reason 


232      LOSS  OP  THE  NOTTINGHAM  GALLEY, 

to  apprehend,  lest  the  approaching  spring  tide,  if  accom- 
panied with  high  winds,  should  entirely  overflow  us. 
The  horrors  of  such  a  situation  it  is  impossible  to  des- 
cribe ;  the  pinching  cold  arid  hunger  ;  extremity  of 
weakness  and  pain  ;  racking  and  horrors  of  conscience 
in  many  ;  and  the  prospect  of  a  certain,  painful,  and 
lingering  death,  without  even  the  most  remote  views  of 
deliverance  !  This  is,  indeed,  the  height  of  misery  ; 
yet  such,  alas  !  was  our  deplorable  case :  insomuch  that 
the  greater  part  of  our  company  were  ready  to  die  of 
horror  and  despair. 

For  my  part,  I  did  my  utmost  to  encourage  myself, 
exhort  the  rest,  to  trust  in  God,  and  patiently  await 
their  deliverance.  As  a  slight  alleviation  of  our  faith, 
Providence  directed  towards  our  quarters  a  sea-gulf, 
which  my. mate  struck  down  and  joyfully  brought  to  i/ie. 
I  divided  it  into  equal  portions,  and  though  raw,  and 
scarcely  affording  a  mouthful  for  each,  yet  we  received 
and  eat  it  thankfully. 

The  last  method  of  rescuing  ourselves  we  could  posi- 
bly  devise  was  to  construct  a  raft  capable  of  carrying 
t'.vo  men.  This  proposal  was  strongly  supported  by  a 
Swede,  one  of  our  men,  a  stout  brave  fellow,  who,  since 
our  disaster,  had  lo&t  the  use  of  both  his  feet  by  the 
frost.  He  frequently  importuned  me  to  attempt  our  de- 
liverance in  that  way,  offering  himself  to  accompany 
rne,  or,  if  1  refused,  to  go  alone.  After  deliberate  con- 
sideration we  resolved  upon  a  raft,  but  found  great  diffi- 
culty in  clearing  the  fore-yard,  of  which  it  was  chiefly 
to  be  made,  from  the  jurik,  as  our  working  hands  were 
so  few  and  weak. 

This  done,  we  split  the  yard,  and  with  the  two  parts 
r/inde  side-pieces,  fixing  others,  arid  adding  some  of 
fhe  lightest  planks  we  could  find,  first  spiking,  and  after- 
wards .  laking  them  firm.  The  raft  was  four  feet  iu 
breadth.  We  fixed  up  a  mast,  and  out  of  two  ham- 
mocks that  were  driven  en  shore  we  made  a  sail,  with 
a  paddle  for  each  man.  and  a  spare  one  in  case  of  neces- 
sity. This  difficulty  being  thus  surmounted,  the 
Swede  frequently  asked  me  whether  I  designed  to  ac 
company  him,  giving  me  to  understand,  that  if  I  declm- 


ed,  there  was  another  ready  to  offer  himself  for  the  en- 
terprise. 

About  this  time  we  saw  a  sail  come  out  of  Piscafa- 
qua  river,  about  seven  leagues  to  the  westward.  We 
again  made  all  the  signals  we  could  but  the  wind  being 
northwest,  and  the  ship  standing  to  the  eastward,  she 
was  presently  out  of  sight,  without  ever  corning  near  us, 
which  proved  an  extreme  mortification  to  our  hopes-, 
The  next  day,  being  moderate,  with  a  small  breeze 
right  ou  shore  in  the  afternoon,  and  the  raft  being  wholly 
finished,  the  two  men  were  very  anxious  to  have  it 
launched ;  but  this  was  as  strenuously  opposed  by  the 
mate,  because  it  was  so  late,  being  two  in  the  afternoon. 
They,  however,  urged  the  lightness  of  the  nights,  bog 
ged  me  to  suffer  them  to  proceed,  and  I  at  length  cor 
sented.  They  both  got  upon  the  raft,  when  the  swell, 
Foiling  very  high,  soon  overset  them,  as  it  did  our  boat 
The  Swede  not  daunted  by  this  accident,  swam  on  shore, 
but  the  other,  being  no  swimmer,  continued  some  time 
under  water ;  as  soon  as  he  appeared,  I  caught  hold  of 
and  saved  him,  but  he  was  so  discouraged  that  he  was 
afraid  to  make  a  second  attempt.  I  desired  the  Swede 
to  wait  a  more  favorable  opportunity,  but  he  continued 
resolute,  begged  me  to  go  with  him,  or  help  him.  to  turn 
the  raft,  and  he  would  go  alone. 

.  By  this  time  another  man  came  down  and  offered  (»:. 
adventure  ;  when  they  were  upon  the  raft,  I  launched 
them  o{J",  they  desiring  us  to  go  to  prayers,  and  also  to 
watch  what  became  of  them.  I  did  so,  and  by  sunst-' 
judged  them  half  way  to  the  main,  and  supposed  that 
they  might  reach  the  shore  by  two  in  the  morning. 
They,  however,  probably  fell  in  with  some  breakers,  or 
were  overset  by  the  violence  of  the  sea  and  perished  , 
for,  two  days  afterwards,  the  raft  was  found  on  shore,. 
and  one  man  dead  about  a  mile  from  it,  with  a  paddle 
fastened  to  his  wrist ;  but  the  Swede,  who  was  so  very 
forward  to  adventure,  was  never  heard  of  more. 

We,  who  were  left  upon  the  desolate  island,  ignorant 
of  what  had  befallen  them,  waited  daily  for  deliverance 
Our  expectations  were  the  more  raised  by  a  smoke  we 
observed,  two  days  afterwards  in  the  woods,  which  was-. 
U2 


234      LOSS -OF  TH£  NOTTINGHAM  GALLEY. 

the  signal  appointed  to  be  made  If  they  arrived  safe, 
This  continued  every  day,  and  we  were  willing  to  believe 
that  it  was  made  on  our  account,  though  we  saw  no 
appearance  of  any  thing  towards  our  relief.  We  sup- 
posed fhat  the  delay  was  occasioned  by  their  not  being 
able  to  procure  a  vessel  so  soon  as  we  desired,  and  this 
idea  served  to  bear  up  our  spirits  and  to  support  us 
greatly. 

Still  our  principal  want  was  that  of  provision,  having 
nothing  to  eat  but  rock  weed,  and  a  very  few  muscles  ; 
indeed,  when  the  spring  tide  was  over,  we  could  scarcely 
<^et  any  at  all.  I  have  myself  gone,  as  no  other  person 
was  able,  several  days  at  low  water,  and  could  find  no 
more  than  two  or  three  apiece.  I  was  frequently  in 
danger  of  losing  my  hands  and  arms,  by  putting  them 
so  often  into  the  water  after  the  muscles,  and  when  ob- 
tained, my  stomach  refused  them,  and  preferred  rock- 
weed. 

Upon  our  iirst  arrival  we  saw  several  seals  upon  the 
rock,  and  supposing  they  might  harbor  there  in  the  night, 
I  walked  round  at  midnight,  but  could  never  meet  with 
any  thing.  We  saw  likewise,  a  great  number  of  birds,, 
which  perceiving  us  daily  there,  would  never  lodge  upon 
the  rock,  so  that  we  caught  none. 

This  disappointment  was  severe,  and  tended  to  aggra- 
vate our  miseries  still  more ;  but  it  was  particularly 
afflicting  to  a  brother  I  had  with  me,  arid  another  young 
gentleman,  neither  of  whom  had  before  been  at  sea,  or 
endured  any  kind  of  hardship.  They  were  now  reduced 
to  the  last  extremity,  having  no  assistance  but  what  they 
received  from  me. 

Part  of  a  green  hide,  fastened  to  a  piece  of  the  main- 
yard,  being  thrown  up  by  the  sea,  the  men  importuned 
me  to  bring  it  to  the  tent,  which  being  done,  we  minced 
it  small  and  swallowed  it. 

About  this  time  I  set  the  men  to  open  junk,  and  when 
the  weither  would  permit  I  thatched  tj?e  tent  with  the 
rope  yarn  in  the  best  manner  I  was  able,  that  it  might 
shelter  us  the  better  from  the  extremities  of  the  weather. 
This  proved  of  so  much  service  as  to  turn  two  or  three 
hours  rain,  and  preserve  us  from  the  cold  pinching  winds, 
which  were  always  very  severe  upon  us. 


LOSS  OF  THE  NOTTINGHAM  GALLEY,      235 

About  the  latter  end  of  December  our  carpenter,  a  fat 
man,  and  naturally  of  a  dull,  heavy,  phlegmatic  disposi- 
tion, aged  about  forty-seven,  who,  from  our  first  coming 
on  shore,  had  been  constantly  very  ill,  and  lost  the  use 
of  his  feet,  complained  of  excessive  pain  in  his  back, 
and  siiffness  in  his  neck.  He  was  likewise  almost  chok^ 
ed  with  phlegm,  for  want  of  strength  to  discharge  it,  and 
appeared  to  draw  near  his  end.  We  prayed  over  him, 
and  used  our  utmost  endeavors  to  be  serviceable  ts> 
him  in  his  last  moments  ;  he  shewed  himself  sensible, 
though  speechless,  and  died  that  night.  We  suffered 
the  body  to  remain  till  morning,  when  I  desired  those 
who  were  most  able,  to  remove  it ;  creeping  out  myself 
to  see  whether  providence  had  sent  us  any  thing  to  sa- 
tisfy the  excessive  cravings  of  our  appetites.  Returning 
before  noon,  and  not.  seeing  the  dead  body  without  the 
tent,  I  inquired  why  they  had  not  removed  it,  and  re- 
ceived for  answer,  they  were  not  all  of  them  able ;  upon 
which,  fastening  a  rope  to  the  body,  I  gave  the  utmost  of 
my  assistance,  and  with  some  difficulty  we  dragged  it 
out  of  the  tent.  But  fatigue,  and  the  consideration  of 
our  misery,  so  overcame  my  spirits,  that  being  ready  to 
faint,  I  crept  into  the  tent,  and  was  no  sooner  there, 
than,  to  add  to  my  trouble,  the  me#  began  to  request 
my  permission  to  eat  the  dead  body,  tjhe  better  to  sup- 
port their  lives. 

This  circumstance  was,  of  all  the  triajs  I.  had  encoun- 
tered, the  most  grievous  and  shocking  : — to  see  myself 
and  company,  who  came  hither  laden  with  provisions 
but  three  weeks  before,  now  reduced  to  such  a  deplora- 
ble situation ;  two  of  us  having  been  absolutely  starved 
to  dealh,  while,  ignorant  of  the  fate  of  two  others,  the 
rest,  though  still  living,  were  reduced  to  the  last 
extremity,  and  requiring  to  eat  the  dead  for  their 
support. 

After  mature  consideration  of  the  lawfulness  or  sinful- 
ness,  on  the  one  hand,  and  absolute  necessity  on  the. 
other,  judgment  and  conscience  were  obliged  to  submit 
to  the  more  prevailing  arguments  of  our  craving  appe- 
tites. We,  at  length,  determined  to  satisfy  our  hunger, 
and  support  our  feeble  bodies  with  the  carcase  of  o^ 


£36      LOSS  OF  THE  NOTTINGHAM  GALLEY, 

deceased  companion.  I  first  ordered  his  skin,  head, 
hands,  feet,  and  bowels,  to  be  buried  in  the  sea,  and 
the  body  to  be  quartered,  for  the  convenience  of  drying 
and  carriage,  but  again  received  for  answer,  that  none  of 
them  being  able,  they  intreated  I  would  perform  that 
labor  for  them.  This  was  a  hard  task  ;.  but  their  inces- 
sant prayers  and  intreaties  at  last  pevailed  over  my 
reluctance,  and  by  night  I  had  completed  the  opera- 
tion. 

I  cut  part  of  the  flesh  into  thin  slices,  and  washing  it 
m  salt  waterj  brought  it  to  the  tent  and  obliged  the  men 
to  eat  rock-weed  with  it  instead  of  bread.  My  mate  and 
two  others  refused  to  eat  any  that  night,  but  the  next 
morning  they  complied,  and  earnestly  desired  to  partake 
with  the  rest. 

1  found  that  they  all  eat  with  the  utmost  avidity,  so 
that  I  was  obliged  to  carry  the  quarters  farther  from  the 
tent,  out  of  their  reach,  lest  they  should  do  themselves 
an  injury  by  eating  too  much,  and  likewise  expend  our 
filial!  stock  too  soon. 

I  also  limited  each  man  to  an  equal  portion,  that  they 
might  not  quarrel  or  have  cause  to  reflect  on  me  or  one 
another.  This  method  I  was  the  more  obliged  to 
adopt,  because,  in  a  few  days,  I  found  their  dispositions 
entirely  changed,  and  that  affectionate,  peaceable  tem- 
per they  had  hitherto  manifested,  totally  lost.  Their 
eyes  looked  wild  and  staring,  their  countenances  fierce 
and  barbarous.  Instead  of  obeying  my  commands,  as 
they  had  universally  and  cheerfully  done  before,  I  now 
found  even  prayers,  and  intreaties  vain  and  fruitless  ; 
nothing  was  now  to  be  heard  but  brutal  quarrels,  with 
liorrid  oaths  and  imprecations,  instead  of  that  quiet  sub- 
missive spirit  of  prayer  and  supplication  they  had  before 
manifested. 

This,  together  with  the  dismal  prospect  of  future 
want,  obliged  «ne  to  keep  a  strict  watch  over  the  rest  of 
the  feodjr,  lest  any  of  them,  if  able,  should  get  to  it, 
and  if  that  were  spent  we  should  be  compelled  to 
feed  upon  the  living,  which  we  certainly  must  have 
done,  had  w;e  remained  in  that  situation  a  few  days 
longer. 


LOSS    OF   THE    NOTTINGHAM   GALLEY.  23? 

The  goodness  of  God  now  began  to  appear,  and  to 
make  provision  for  our  deliverance,  by  putting  it  into 
the  hearts  of  the  good  people  on  the  shire,  to  which 
our  raft  was  driven,  to  come  out  in  search  of  us,  which 
they  did  on  the  2d  of  January  in  the  morning. 

Just  as  I  was  creeping  out  of  the  tent  I  saw  a  shallop 
half  way  from  the  shore,  standing  directly  towards  us. 
Our  joy  and  satisfaction,  at  the  prospect  of  such  speedy 
and  unexpected  deliverance,  no  tongue  is  able  to  express, 
nor  thought  to  conceive. 

Our  good  and  welcome  friends  came  to  an  anchor  to 
the  southwest,  at  the  dfetance  of  about  one  hundred 
yards,  the  swell  preventing  them  from  approaching 
nearer ;  but  their  anchor  coining  home  obliged  them  to 
stand  off  till  about  noon,  waiting  for  smoother  water 
upon  the  flood.  Meanwhile  our  passions  were  differ- 
ently agitated  ;  our  expectations  of  •  deliverance,  and 
fears  of  miscarriage,  hurried  cur  weak  aiid  disordered 
spirits  strangely. 

I  gave  them  an  account  of  all  our  miseries,  excepting 
the  want  of  provisions,  which  I  did  not  mention,  lest  the 
fear  of  being  constrained  by  the  weather  to  remain  with 
us,  might  have  prevented  them  from  coming  on  shore. 
I  earnestly  intreated  them  to  attempt  our  immediate  de- 
liverance, or  at  least  to  furnish  us  if  possible,  with  fire, 
which,  with  the  utmost  hazard  and  difficulty  they  at  last 
accomplished,  by  sending  a  small  canoe,  with  one  man, 
who,  after  great  exertion,  got  on  shore. 

After  helping  him  up  with  his  canoe,  and  seeing 
nothing  to  eat,  I  asked  him  if  he  could  give  us  fire  : — he 
answered  in,  the  affirmative,  but  was  so  affrighted  by  my 
tbin  and  meagre  appearance  that,  at  first,  he  could 
scarcely  return  me  an  answer.  However,  recollecting 
himself,  after  sevesal  qufstions  asked  on  both  sides,  he 
went  with  me  to  the  tent,  where  he  was  surprised  to  see 
so  many  of  us  in  such  a  Deplorable  condition.  Our  flesh 
was  so  wasted,  and  our  looks  were  sg  ghastly  and  fright- 
ful, that  it  was  really  a  very  dismal  spectacle. 

With  some  difficulty  we  made  a  fire,  after  which, 
determining  to  go  on  board  myself  with  the  man,  and 
to  send  for  the  rest,  one  or  two  at  a  time,  we  both  got 


233  liOSS    0F   THE    NOTTINGHAM    GALLEY, 

mto  the  canoe  ;  but  the  sea  immediately  drove  us 
against  the  rock  with  such  violence  thai  we  were  over* 
feet,  and  being  very  weak,  it  was  a  considerable  time 
before  I  could  recover  myself,  so  that  I  had  again  a 
very  narrow  escape  from  drowning.  The  good  man, 
with  great  difficulty  got  on  board  without  me,  designing 
lo  return  the  next  clay  with  better  conveniences,  if  the 
^veather  should  permit.  » 

It  was  an  afflicting  sight  to  observe  our  friends  in  the 
shallop,  standing  away  for  the  shore  without  us.  But 
Goo,  who  orders  every  thing  for  the  best,  doubtless  had 
designs  of  preservation  in  denying  us  the  appearance  of 
present  deliverance  :  for  the  wind  coming  about  to  south- 
cast,  it  blew  so  hard  that  the  shallop  was  lost,  and  the 
crew,  with  extreme  iLtiiculty,  saved  their  lives.  Had 
v/o  been  with  them  it  is  more  than  probable  that  we 
should  all  have  perished,  not  having  strength  suilitieni 
to  help  ourselves. 

When  they  had  reached  the  shore  (hey  immediately 
sent  an  express  to  Portsmouth,  in  Piscataqua,  where 
the  good  people  made  no  delay  in  hastening  to  our  deliv- 
erance as  soon  as  the  weather  would  allow.  To  our 
great  sorrow,  and  as  a  farther  trial  of  our  patience,  the 
next  day  continued  very  stormy,  and  though  we  doubted 
not  but  the  people  on  shore  knew  our  condition,  and 
would  assist  us  as  soon  as  possible,  yet  our  flesh  being 
fiearly  consumed,  being  without  fresh  water,  and  uncer- 
tain how  long  the  unfavorable  weather  might  continue, 
our  situation  was  extremely  miserable.  We,  however, 
received  great  benefit  from  our  fire,  as  we  could  both 
warm  ourselves  and  broil  our  meat. 

The  next  day,  the  men  being  very  importunate  for 
flesh,  I  gave  them  rather  more  than  usual,  but  not  to 
their  satisfaction.  They  would  certainly  have  eaten  up 
the  whole  at  once,  had  I  not  carefully  watched  them, 
with  the  intention  of  sharing  the  rest  next  morning,  if 
the  weather  continued  bad.  The  wind,  however,  abat- 
ed that  night,  and  early  next  morning  a  shallop  came  for 
us,  with  my  much  esteemed  friends  Captain  Long  and 
Captain  Purver,  and  three  more  men,  who  brought  a 
canoe,  and  in  two  hours  got  us  all  on  board,  being 


LOSS  OF  THE  NOTTINGHAM  GALLET.      239 

obliged  to  carry  almost  all  of  us  upon  their  backs  from 
the  tent  to  the  canoe,  and  fetch  us  off  by  two  or  three 
at  a  time. 

When  we  first  came  on  board  the  shallop,  each  of  us 
eat  a  piece  of  bread,  ami  drank  a  dram  of  rum,  and  most 
of  us  were  extremely  sea-sick :  but  after  we  had  cleansed 
our  stomachs  and  tasted  warm  nourishing  food  we  be- 
came so  exceeding  hungry  and  ravenous,  that  had  not 
our  friends  dieted  us,  and  limited  the  quantity  for  two  or 
three  days,  we  should  certainly  have  destroyed  ourselves 
with  eating. 

Two  days  after  our  coming  on  shore  my  apprentice 
lost  the  greater  part  of  one  foot;  all  the  rest  recovered 
their  limbs,  but  not  their  perfect  use  ;  very  few,  except- 
ing myself,  escaping  without  losing  the  benefit  of  fingers 
or  toes,  though  otherwise  all  in  perfect  health. 


NARRATIVE    OF 

THE  SHIPWRECK  OF  M.  DE  BRISSON. 

f)n  the  Coast  of  Barbary,  and  of  his  Captivity  among 
the  Moors. 


Written  by  himself. 


ft 


LAVING  made  several  voyages  to  Africa,  I  re- 
ceived an  order  in  June,  1785,  from  the  Marshal  de  Cas- 
tries, then  minister  and  secretary  of  state  for  the  marine 
department  to  embark  for  the  island  of  St.  Louis,  in  the 
Senegal,  in  the  St.  Catharine,  commanded  by  M.  Le 
Turc.  On  the  10th  of  July  we  passed  between  the 
Canary  isle  and  that  of  Pahna,  and  the  Captain  having 
rejected  my  advice  relative  to  the  caution  necessary  to 
be  observed  in  those  seas,  the  ship  soon  afterwards 
struck  upon  shoals. 

A  dreadful  confusion  ensued.  The  masts  being  loos- 
ened by  the  shock,  quiverd  over  our  heads,  and  the 
sails  were  torn  in  a  thousand  pieces.  The  terror  became 
general ;  the  cries  of  the  sailors,  mixed  with  the  terrible 
roaring  of  the  sea,  irritated,  as  it  were,  by  the  interrup- 
tion of  its  course  between  the  rocks  and  the  vessel, 
added  to  the  horror  of  the  scene.  In  this  dangerous 
state,  such  was  the  consternation  of  the  crew,  that  no 
one  thought  of  saving  himself.  "  O  my  wife  !"  cried 
one  :  "  O  my  dear  children  !"  exclaimed  a  second  ; 
while  others,  extending  their  hands  towards  heaven, 
implored  the  divine  protection.  In  the  hope  of  saving 
the  ship,  the  masts  were  cut  away,  but  our  exertions 


THE    SHIPWRECK,    &U.,  241 


were  of  no   avail,   the  hold   being  already  filled 
water. 

We  must  inevitably  have  been  lost,  had  not  Mr.  Yan, 
one  of  the  lieutenants;  Mr.  Suret,  a  passenger;  three 
English  sailors,  and  a  few  others,  encouraged  by  my 
example,  assisted  me  to  haul  out  the  shallop,  and  to 
prevent  it  afterwards  from  being  sunk  or  dashed  to  pieces 
against  the  sides  of  the  ship.  We  were  obliged  to  strug- 
gle the  whole  night  against  the  fury  of  the  sea,  that  when 
the  day  appeared  we  might  be  able  to  avoid  the  rocks, 
by  which  we  were  surrounded  on  all  sides,  and  get,  if 
possible,  on  shore. 

We  had  scarcely  made  two  strokes  with  our  oars 
when  they  were  swept  from  the  hands  of  the  rowers  by 
the  violence  of  the  waves  ;  the  shallop  was  overset  ;  we 
were  separated  in  an  instant,  and  all,  excepting  Mr.  De- 
voise,  brother  to  the  Consul  at  Tripoli,  cast  upon  a  sand 
bank;  I,  however,  immediately  threw  myself  into  the 
\vater,  and  was  fortunate  enough  to  save  him  from  dis- 
truction. 

Our  unfortunate  companions,  who  had  remained  oil 
board,  now  saw  themselves  deprived  of  every  assistance 
from  us  ;  but  I  soon  revived  their  hopes,  by  plunging 
into  the  waves,  accompanied  by  Mr.  Yan,  whose  zeal 
and  activity  seconded  my  efforts.  He  prevailed  upon 
the  rest  to  join  us  in  our  endeavors  to  get  the  shallop 
afloat  again,  wljich  we  accomplished  with  great  .difficul- 
ty ;  but  we  found  ourselves  amply  repaid  for  our  labor 
when  we  set  the  rest  of  the  crew  on  shore.  We,  how- 
ever, escaped  this  first  danger  only  to  become  the  vic- 
tims of  a  second,  still  more  terrible. 

When  the  wretched  crew  had  reached  the  shore,  I 
persuaded  them  to  climb  the  surrounding  rocks,  on  the 
summit  of  which  w«  discovered  an  extensive  plain,  ter- 
minated by  some  small  hills,  covered  with  a  kind  of 
wild  fern.  On  these  hills  we  saw  some  children  collect- 
ing a  flock  of  goats.  As  soon  as  they  behefd  strangers, 
they  set  up  such  outcries  as  instantly  alarmed  and 
brought  together  the  neighboring  inhabitants.  These, 
after  viewing  the  crew,  began  to  dance  and  caper,  at  the 
same  time  uttering  the  tacst.  horrid  cries  and  yells 


£  THE   SHIPWRECK   OF 

"When  these  savages  came  up,  some  of  my  compa- 
nions, among  whom  were  the  first  and  second  lieuten^ 
ants,  separated  from  us.  They  were  immediately  sur- 
rounded and  seized  by  the  collar,  and  it  was  then  thafj 
by  the  reflection  of  the  sun's  rays  from  the  polished 
blades  of  their  poignards,  we  first  discovered  them  to 
be  armed.  As  I  had  not  perceived  this  before,  I  had 
advanced  without  any  fear. 

Our  two  unfortunate  companions  having  disappeared, 
co  uld  not  make  the  men  stop  even  for  a  short  time. 
Fear  got  such  possession  of  their  hearts,  that,  giving 
vent  to  cries  of  despair,  they  all  fled  different  ways. 
The  Arabs, , armed  with  cutlasses  and  large  clubs,  fell 
upon  them  with  incredible  fury,  and  I  had  the  mortifica- 
tion of  soon  seeing  some  of  them  wounded,  while  others, 
stripped  naked,  lay  extended  and  expiring  on  the 
sand. 

I  was  so  unfortunate  as  to  obtain  a  promise  of  goodwill 
from  an  unarmed  Arab,  who  afterwards  proved  to  be  a 
talbe,  or  priest,  by  giving  him  two  watches,  a  gold  stock-* 
buckle,  two  pair  of  sleeve  buttons,  a  ring  set  with  dia- 
monds, a  silver  goblet,  and  two  hundred  and  twenty 
iivr.es  in  specie.  The  latter  article  afforded  him  most 
pleasure. 

The  newrs  of  our  shipwreck  beseg  spread  through  the 
country,  we  saw  the  savages  running  in  great  haste  from 
all  quarters  ;  their  numbers  naturally  increased  the  jeal- 
ousy of  the  others,  so  that  they  soon  came  to  blows, 
and  several  lives  were  lost  in  the  contest.  The  women, 
enraged  that  they  could  not  pillage  jhe  ship,  fell  upon 
and  tore  from  us  the  few  articles  of  dress  we  had  left  ; 
but  their  attention  was  principally  attracted  by  mine, 
which  seemed  to  be  more  worthy  of  their  notice. 

My  master,  who  was  by  no  means  of  a  warlike  dis- 
position, perceiving  that  the  number  of  Arabs  increased, 
every  moment,  called  aside  two  of  his  friends,  whom  he 
cunningly  admitted  as  partners  with  him  in  the  property 
uf  twelve  of  the  crew  who  had  surrendered  themselves 
iO  him.  After  making  his  arrangements  he  retired  from 
ihe  crowd,  that  he  might  shelter  us  from  insult.  The 
place  which  he  chose  for  that  purpose  was  a  wretched 


..    »E    EJRISSON. 

httf,  ^covered  with  moss,  at  the  distance  of  more  than  a 
league  from  the  sea ;  here  we  lodged,  or  rather  were 
heaped  one  upon  the  other. 

Our  patron's  first  care  was  to  pay  us  a  visit,  and  to 
search  us,  lest  we  should  have  concealed  some  of  oiu 
property.  Unluckily  for  them  iny  companions  had  pro 
served  nothing,  on  which  account  he  was  in  a  very  ili 
humor,  and  shewed  them  no  mercy.  He  took  from 
them  even  their  shirts  a.nd  hankcrchiefs,  intimating,  thaf 
if  he  did  not  do  thein  that  favor,  others  would.  He  like- 
wise attempted  to  pay  me  the  same  compliment,  bur 
upon  my  observing  that  I  had  already  given  him  enough, 
I  experienced  no  farther  molestation. 

Beiiig  as  yet  ignorant  among  what  tribe  we  had  fallen. 
I  addressed  myself  to  our  master  for  information ;  and 
partly  by  words,  and  partly  by  i-igns,  I  put  the  following 
tion  to  him  :  i:  What  is  thy  name,  and  that  of  thy 
;  and  why  didst  thoa  fly  from  those  crowds  who 
Advanced  towards  (he  shores  of  Jbe  ?e.a  V  He  replied, 
w  My  name  is  Skly  Mohammed*  cf  Zowze;  my  tribe  is 
fchatof  Lehdesseba,  and  I  fled  from  the  Ouadelirns,  be- 
cause we  are  not  on  good  terms  with  one  another."  I 
was  much  affected  to  find  that  we  had  fallen  mio  the 
tends  of  the  most  ferocious  people  who  inhabit  the  de 
serts  of  Africa. 

While  the  talhe  repaired  to  the  shore  for  more  plunder. 
a  company  of  Ouadelims  discovered  and  pillaged  our 
retreat,  and  beat  us  most  unmercifully.  I  was  almost  at 
the  last  gasp,  when  one  of  the  associates  of  the  talbe 
came  and  rescued  jne,  and  before  a  large  assembly,  after- 
wards claimed  me,  as  the  reward  of  his  valor.  The 
priest  made  the  strongest  objections  to  this  claim, 
threatening  to  chastise  the  claimant,  who  replied  to  the 
talbe  :  "  Since  this  is  thy  pretension,  as  he  cannot  be 
mine,  he  shall  perish  by  my  hand."  He  had  scarcely 
pronounced  these  words,  when  he  drew  his  poignard  to 
stab  me.  I  trembled  under  the  threatening  dagger  oi 
this  barbarian  ;  but  my  master,  without  losing  a  moment 
threw  over  me  a  kind  of  chaplet,  formed  of  a  loin; 
piece  of  cord,  upon  which  are  strung  a  great  number  oi 
*inaJ!  black  balls,  and  then  took  In  his  hand  a 


£44  THE    SHIPWRECK    OP 

book  which  hung  in  his  girdle.  The  women,  at  th6 
some  instant,  rushed  towards  me,  snatched  me  from  the 
hands  of  the  claimant,  and  delivered  me  into  those  of 
the  enraged  priest,  dreading  lest  he  should  thunder  forth 
an  anathema  against  his  antagonist. 

When  I  had  recovered  a  little  tranquility,  and  began 
fo  reflect  upon  the  danger  I  had  escaped,  I  was  so  much 
ciiTected  that  I  could  not  refrain  (Vom  teafs.  I  endeavor- 
ed to  conceal  from  every  eye  this  testimony  of  my  sen- 
sibility and  grief;  but  being  observed  by  some  of  the, 
women,  instead  of  feeling  compassion,  they  threw  sand 
in  my  eyes,  "to  dry  my  eye  lids,"  as  they  said.  For- 
tunately the  obscurity  of  the  night  concealed  me  from 
ihe  sight  of  these  monsters,  and  saved  me  from  their 
iary. 

We  had  now  been  three  days  in  a  state  of  slavery, 
and  during  that  time  had  taken  no  nourishment  but  a 
little  flour,  which,  though  before  spoiled  by  the  sea- 
water,  was  rendered  still  more  disagreeable  by  the  mix- 
ture of  barley  meal,  which  had  long  been  kept  in  a 
goat's  skin  ;  and  bad  as  this  repast  was,  it  was  frecfuently 
interrupted  by  the  alarming  outcries  which  we  heard  at  a 
distance. 

The  Arab  tribe  to  whom  we  were  prisoners  had  repair- 
ed to  the  sea-coast  a  few  days  before  our  shipwreck,  to 
collect  the  fruits  of  wild  plants  for  the  support  of  their 
families  in  the  interior  of  the  country  ;  but  upon  the  ap- 
proach of  their  enemies,  the  Ouadeiims,  they  prepared 
to  return  home  with  their  provisions  and  prisoners. 

After  passing  mountains  of  prodigious  height,  cover- 
ed with  small,  sharp,  greyish  flints,  we  descended  into  a 
sandy  valley,  overgrown  with  sharp  thistles.  Having 
here  slackened  our  pace,  I  found  that  the  soles  of  my 
feet  were  entirely  covered  with  blood,  so  that  it  was  im- 
possible for  me  to  proceed  any  farther.  My  master 
then  made  me  get  up  behind  him  upon  his  camel  ;  buf 
this  attention,  on  his  part,  instead  of  giving  me  any 
relief,  had  quite  a  contrary  effect,  and  exposed  me  to 
the  severest  pain.  A  camel  naturally  steps  very  heavily, 
and  his  trot  is  remarkably  hard.  Being  naked,  and  una- 
ble to  defend  myself  from  the  friction  of  the  animal'* 


M.    DE   BRISSOX.  £45 

hair,  in  a  very  little  time  my  skin  was  entirely  rubbed 
off.  My  blood  trickled  down  the  animal's  sides,  and 
instead  of  exciting  pity  in  these  barbarians,  this  sight 
afforded  them  a  subject  of  diversion.  They  made  sport 
of  my  sufferings,  and  spared  on  the  camels,  in  order  to 
heighten  their  enjoyment.  My  wounds  would,  in  con- 
sequence, have  ^been  rendered  incurable,  had  I  no? 
formed  the  resolution  of  throwing  myself  off  and  walk- 
ing upon  the  sand.  This  I  accomplished,  and  sustained 
no  other  injury  in  the  fall  than  that  of  being:  dreadfully 
pricked  by  the  thistles,  which  covered  the  whole  surface 
of  the  ground. 

Towards  evening,  perceiving  a  thick  smoke,  I  ima 
gined  that  we  were  approaching  sonic  hamlet,  where  we 
should  find  something  to  eat,  and,  above  alf,  something 
to  allay  our  intolerable  thirst ;  but  I  soon  perceived  that 
there  was  nothing  but  a  few  bushes,  in  which  our  guide 
had  taken  up  his  lodging.  Exhausted  with  fatigue,  I 
retired  behind  one  of  them,  to  wait  for  the  relieving 
hand  of  death,  but  had  scarcely  extended  myself  OR 
the  ground  when  an  Arab  of  our  company  came  and 
compelled  me  to  get  up  to  unload  his  camel.  This  in- 
sult I  resented,  and  found  afterwards  that  it  produced  a 
good  effect. 

I  observed  preparations  making  which  threw  me  into 
the  greatest  inquietude.  They  made  flints  red  hot  in  a 
large  pan,  raised  a  huge  stone  which  lay  at  the  foot  of  a 
bush,  dug  up  the  earth,  and  frequently  repeating  my 
name,  they  all  burst  into  loud  fits  of  laughter.  Then 
calling  me,  they  obliged  me  to  approach  the  hole  they 
had  dug  in  the  ground,  while  the  man  whom  I  had  beat- 
en made  different  signs  with  his  hand,  often  drawing  it 
backwards  and  forwards  against  his  throat,  as  if  to  give 
me  to  understand  that  he  would  cut  it,  or  that  they  were 
resolved  to  serve  me  in  that  manner.  In,  spite  of  iny 
resolution,  and  the  determination  to  defend  myself,  these 
gestures  were  very  alarming  ;  but  my  apprehensions 
were  converted  into  surprise,  when  I  saw  them  take 
from  the  pit  which  I  had  approached,  a  goat's  ekin  full 
of  water,  a  small  leather  bag,  coKtaining  barley  meal, 
and  a  goat  newly  killed.  By  the  sight  of  these 
W2 


246  THE    SHIPWRECK    OF 

sions  I  was  restored  to  my  former  tranquility,  though  I 
was  ignorant  for  what  purpose  the  heated  flints  were  in- 
tended. At  length  I  saw  them  fill  with  water  a  large 
wooden  vessel,  into  which  some  barley  meal  had  been  put, 
and  the  red  hot  flints  Toeing  thrown  into  the  water,  served 
to  make  it  boil.  They  then  made  a  kind  of  paste,  knead- 
ing it  afterwards  with  their  hands,  and  swallowing  it 
without  chewing. 

As  for  us  slaves  we  had  nothing  to  eat  but  some  of 
this  paste,  which  was  thrown  to  us  upon  the  carpet  used 
by  our  patron  to  put  under  his  feet  while  he  repeated 
his  prayers,  and  in  the  night  as  a  mattrass  to  sleep  on. 
After  kneading  this  feaven  a  long  time,  he  gave  it  to  me 
to  distribute  it  among  my  companions.  It  can  scarcely 
be  imagined  how  disagreeable  it  was  to  the  taste.  The 
water  with  which  it  was  mixed  had  been  procured  on  the 
sea-shore,  and  was  afterwards  preserved  in  a  goat's  skin, 
which  they  had  lined  with  a  kind  of  pitch  to  prevent  it 
from  corrupting,  by  which  its  smell  was  rendered  doubly 
disgusting  This  water  was  our  only  drink,  and,  bad 
as  it  was,  our  allowance  was  extremely  scanty. 

At  dinner  time,  the  next  day,  our  masters  regaled 
upon  raw  fat,  of  which  they  appeared  remarkably  fond. 
As  soon  as  the  meat  was  roasted,  or  rather  baked,  they 
took  it  from  the  earth,  and,  without  taking  time  to  free 
it  from  the  sand  which  adhered  to  it,  they  devoured  k 
with  excessive  voracity.  Having  well  picked  the  bones, 
they  used  their  nails  to  scrape  off  the  remaining  flesh, 
and  then  threw  them  to  us,  telling  us,  at  the  same  time, 
to  eat  quickly,  and  unload  the  camels,  that  our  journey 
might  not  be  delayed. 

Passing  some  of  the  tents,  the  women,  still  mor« 
ferocious  than  the  men,  took  pleasure  in  tormenting  us 
while  our  masters  durst  scarcely  oppose  them.  Having 
retired  to  a  small  distance  from  my  load,  I  perceived  a 
man  taking  aim  at  me  with  a  double- barrelled  fusee, 
upon  which  I  presented  my  breast  to  him,  desiring  him 
to  fire.  He  was  greatly  astonished  at  this  firmness,  and 
his  surprise  tended  to  confirm  me,  in  rny  opinion,  that 
these  people  are  impressed  with  respect  when  a  person 
appears  Hot  to  fear  them,  I  was  advancing 


M.   DE   BRISSOSL  247 

this  man,  when  I  was  struck  on  the  head,  and  for  a 
few  moments  deprived  of  sense,  fey  a  stone  from  an 
unknown  hand,  but  which  I  suspected  to  have  been 
thrown  by  his  wife. 

After  resting  three  days  among  the  Arabs  of  the  tribe 
of  Roussye,  we  resumed  our  journey,  penetrating  far- 
ther into  the  interior  of  the  country,  where  we  were  to 
join  the  families  of  our  conductors.  After  being  expos- 
ed for  sixteen  days  to  the  greatest  fatigues  and  dreadful 
miseries,  we  at  length  reached  the  end  of  our  journey, 
in  a  most  wretched  and  exhausted  condition. 

Being  observed  upon  the  brow  of  a  hill,  several  of 
the  black  slaves,  whose  principal  employment  is  to  tend 
the  camels,  came  to  meet  our  masters,  in  order  to  kiss 
their  feet,  and  inquire  after  their  health.  As  we  pro- 
ceeded, the  children  made  the  air  resound  with  shouts 
of  joy,  and  the  woinen  standing  up,  out  of  respect, 
awaited  at  the  doors  of  their  tents,  the  arrival  of  their 
husbands.  Upon  their  approach  they  advanced  towards 
them  with  an  air  of  submission,  and  each,  after  prostrat- 
ing before  her  husband,  laid  her  right  hand  on  his  heat! 
and  kissed  it.  This  ceremony  being  finished  they  began 
to  satisfy  their  curiosity  with  regard  to  us,  and  to  load 
us  with  abuse  ;  but  they  did  not  stop  here,  for  they  even 
spit  in  our  faces,  and  pelted  us  with  stones.  The  chil- 
dren imitating  their  example,  pinched  us,  pulled  our 
hair,  and  scratched  us  with  their  nails;  their  cruel 
mothers  ordered  them  to  attack  sometimes  one  and 
sometimes  another,  taking  pleasure  in  making  them 
torment  us.  Exhausted  with  hunger,  thirst,  and  desr 
pair,  wre  had  impatiently  wished  for  the  moment  of  our 
arrival,  but  little  did  we  foresee  the  new  torments  that 
awaited  us. 

After  our  masters  had  divided  their  slaves,  the  favo$- 
ite  wife  of  the  talbe  ordered  M.  Devoise,  M.  Baudre, 
and  myself,  who  had  fallen  to  her  husband's  share,  to 
unload  the  camels,  to  clean  a  kettle  which  she  brougat 
us,  and  to  pull  up  some  roots  to  make  a  fire  White 
thus  employed  in  signifying  her  will  to  us,  her  husband 
was  quietly  enjoying  a  sound  sleep  on  the  knees  of  OEJQ 
q£  his  concubines, 


248  THE  SHIPWRECK  OF 

The  hope  of  soon  regaining  my  liberty  inspired  me 
with  sufficient  fortitude  to  endure  the  hardships  imposed 
upon  me  by  this  diabolical  woman.  I,  therefore,  went 
to  collect  some  wood,  but  what  was  my  surprise,  when, 
upon  my  return,  I  beheld  my  two  companions,  who 
had  been  dreadfully  beaten,  extended  on  the  sand. 
They  had  been  subject  to  this  cruel  treatment,  because 
their  strength  being  entirely  exhausted,  they  had  been 
unable  to  perform  the  task  assigned  them.  My  repeated 
outcries  awaked  my  master,  and  though,  as  yet,  I  spoke 
fhe  language  very  imperfectly,  I  endeavored  to  address 
him  in  the  following  terms  :  "  Have  you  conducted  us 
hither  to  cause  us  to  be  butchered  by  a  cruel  woman  ? 
Think  of  your  promise.  Conduct  me  without  delay, 
either  -to  Senegal  or  Morocco ;  if  you  do  not,  I  will  cause 
&11  the  effects  I  gave  you  to  be  taken  away." 

My  passion  knew  no  bounds,  and  several  of  the 
neighbors  haying  approached  me,  iny  master  appeared 
to  be  extremely  uneasy,  fearing  lest  I  should  mention 
the  quantity  of  the  effects  which  he  had  received  from 
Hie.  Addressing  himself  to  his  wife  :  "  I  forbid  thee," 
said  he,  "  to  require  from  him  the  least  service  that  may 
be  disagreeable  to  him,  and  if  thou  dost,  I  desire  that 
he  may  not  obey  thee."  Prom  this  moment  that  wo- 
man conceived  an  implacable  hatred  against  me. 

The  end  of  August  approached,  and  not  the  smallest 
preparations  were  made  for  our  journey.  I  asked  Sidy 
Mohammed  what  he  was  wailing  for,  in  order  to  coi> 
duct  me  to  Senegal.  He  replied,  that  he  was  looking 
for  strong  vigorous  camels  •capable  of  enduring  the 
fatigues  of  such  a  journey,  and  that  it  was  his  intention 
to  set  off  as  soon  as  he  had  procured  them. 

I  was  the  more  urgent  in  intreating  him  not  to  delay, 
as  the  nights  now  began  to  be  very  uncomfortable,  the 
dew  frequently  wetting  us  through  the  bushes,  which 
afforded  a  kind  oi'  shelter.  From  this  dew,  we,  how- 
ever, obtained  some  relief ;  for  by  collecting  it  in  our 
hands  from  our  bodies,  it  served  to  quench  o»r  thirst, 
which  the  coolness  of  the  night  did  not  allay,  and  we 
preferred  it  to  our  own  urine,  which  we  were  often  ne- 
cessitated to  driuk.  Having  spoken  to.  my  master  a 


a:.  DE  ERissotf. 

iid  time,  he  made  me  such  a  reply  as  convinced 
me  he  was  sincere.  "  Dost  thou  think,"  said  he,  "  that, 
in  the  present  excessive  heat,  it  would  be  possible  to 
travel  without  provisions,  and,  above  all,  without  water  ? 
We  should  find  it  very  difficult  to  approach  the  Senegal, 
as  the  river  has  inundated  ail  the  neighboring  plains ; 
and  we  should  have  much  to  fear  from  the  Arabs  of  the 
tribe  of  Trargea,  who  are  our  energies.  I -tell  thee 
the  truth,"  added  he^  "  we  must  wait  (ill  the  mouth  of 
October." 

As  we  were  Christians,  when  the. Arabs  had  almost 
exhausted  their  provisions,  their  dogs  fared, better  than 
we,  and  it  was  in  the  basins  destined  for  their  use  that 
we  received  our  allowance.  Their  object  was  to  make 
us  change  our  religion,  but  in  this  they  failed,  although 
our  food  consisted  of  raw  snails,  and  herbs  arid  plants, 
that  were  trodden  under  foot. 

I  was  soon  undeceived  by  a  yourg  female  Moor, 
whose  flocks  fed  with  those  I  tended,  respecting  the 
hopes  I  had  entertained  of  liberty,  in  consequence  of 
my  master's  promises,  and  this  information  rendered  my 
labors  still  more  irksome  and  insupportable. 

I  no  longer  met  in  the  fields  my  companions  in  mis- 
fortune, but  above  all,  I  regretted  the  loss  of  the  cap- 
tain. His  company  had  often  comforted  me  in  afflic- 
tion, and  I  found  a  kind  of  alleviation  in  conversing 
with  him  on  our  sufferings,  and  the  hopes  we  entertain- 
ed of  returning  to  our  native  land.  One  evening,  the 
coolness  of  the  weather  having  enticed  my  camels  to 
stray  farther  than  usual,  I  was  under  the  necessity  of 
following  them  to  a  neighboring  hamlet,  where  I  Jbeheld 
a  spectacle  truly  horrible.  The  unfortunate  captain  was 
extended  lifeless  upon  the  sand,  holding,  in  his  mouth, 
one  of  his  hands,  which  his  extreme  weakness  had, 
doubtless,  prevented  him  from  devouring.  He  was  so 
altered  by  famine,  that  all  his  features  were  absolutely 
effaced,  and  Lis  body  exhibited  the  most  disgusting 
appearance. 

A  few  days  afterwards  the  second  captain  having  fal- 
len, through  weakness,  at  the  foot  of  an  old  gum  tree, 
was  attacked  by  an  enormous  serpent.  Some  famish- 


250  THE  snrpWRECK  OF 


ed  cwws,  by  their  cries,  frightened  away  the  venomous 
animal,  and  alighting  on  the  body  of  the  dying  man, 
were  tearing  him  to  pieces,  while.  four  savages  more 
cruel  than  the  furious  reptile,  beheld  this  scene  without 
affording  him  the  least  assistance.  I  endeavored  to  run 
towards  him,  if  possible,  to  save  his  life,  but  was  stop- 
ped by  the  barbarians,  who,  after  insulting  me,  said  : 
*  This  Christian  also  will  soon  become  a  prey  to  the 
birds.'  Finding  my  efforts  ineffectual,  I  hastened  from 
this  scene  of  horror  ;  and  not  knowing  which  way  tr« 
direct  my  steps,  T  followed  my  sheep  and  rny  camels. 
Upon  my  arrival  at  the  tents,  my  master,  struck  with 
my  absent  and  distracted  looks,  inquired  what  was  the 
matter.  "  Go,  (replied  I,)  a  few  steps  hence,  and  be- 
hold what  your  cruelty,  and  that  of  your  wife  is  capab!e 
of  producing.  You  have  suffered  my  companion  to  ex- 
pire, and  because  his  illness  prevented  him  from  work- 
ing, you  refused  him  tfee  .inilk  necessary  foriiis  subsis- 
tence." 

While  pronouncing  these  words,  I  concealed  my  teflrs, 
which  would  only  have  excited  the  laughter  of  these 
luiman  brutes,  who  ordered  me  to  go  and  bring  avvaf 
the  bloody  clothes  of  the  unhappy  victim  of  tfceir  barbar- 
ity. I  was  fired  with  indignation  at  such  an  indecent 
proposal.  f  My  agitation,  and  the  fern  which  I  had  eateft 
to  appease  my  hunger,  produced  a  painful  vomiting, 
which  was  succeeded  by  almost  total  debility.  I  was, 
however,  able  to  crawl  behind  a  bush,  where  I  found 
another  wretched  object,  who  inquired  the  reason  of  my 
tears,  and  if  I  had  seen  Baudre.  "  He  is  not  far  off,n  I 
re;  !lod.  This  was  all  I  could,  or  wished  to  say  :  but  rn$r 
master's  sister,  who  came  to  bring  us  some  milk,  ex- 
claimed, "  The  crows  are  now  devouring  Baudre's  en- 
trails ;  you  will  soon  meet  the  same  fate  ;  you  are  good 
for  nothing  else." 

My  health,  which  had  hitherto  been  better  than  I 
could  hav^e  expected,  now  declined  fast.  My  whole 
skin  had  been  twice  renewed,  and  my  body  began  to  be 
eovered  a  third  time,  with  a  kind  of  scales,  like  those  of 
the  Arabs,  and  this  change  wyas  attended  with  considera- 
ble pain,  The  thorns  over  which  I  fead  walked,  hail 


M.    BE    BRISSON.  251 

torn  jny  feet  to  (he  quck  ;  I  cotild  scarcely  stand  erect, 
and  the  large  dogs  continually  let  loose  upon  me,  and 
from  which  I  could  never  disengage  myself  without  re- 
ceiving dreadful  wounds,  rendered  me  absolutely  inca- 
pable of  guarding  the  camels.  To  add  to  my  misery, 
the  excessive  heats  about  the  end  of  February  and 
March,  had  dried  up  all  the  water  in  that  part  of  the 
country,  and  not  a  single  drop  of  rain  had  fallen  to 
moisten  the  fields  which  I  had  sown.  Our  cattle  finding 
no  pasture,  were  on  the  point  of  perishing,  when  the 
tribes  of  Labdesseba  and  the  Ouadelims,  having  taken 
into  consideration  their  present  condition,  resolved  to 
go  in  quest  of  some  spot  occupied  by  more  industrious 
inhabitants. 

In  this  melancholy  situation  I  accidentally  met  with 
an  Arab,  having  in  his  train  a  Christian  slave,  who,  I 
found,  had  been  baiter  to  our  ship.  This  man  was  dis- 
posed of  to  my  master  at  a  moderate  price,  and  ordered 
to  perform  my  ordinary  laboi.  I  had  now  an  oppor'  ..- 
ttity  of  recruiting  my  strength  a  little ;  but  the  unfortu- 
nate baker  paid  dearly  for  his  knowledge  in  the  art  of 
preparing  food.  Having  eaten  all  the  snails  we  could 
find,  we  fed  upon  sheep  which  had  died  either  of  hunger 
or  disease.  This  suggested  to  us  the  idea  of  strangling 
a  few  kids  in  the  night  time,  persuaded  that  our  nmsters 
would  not  meddle  with  them,  as  their  law  prohibits  their 
eating  of  any  animal  unless  it  has  died  by  (he  knife;  but 
being  suspected,  and  at  length  caught  in  the  act,  we 
narrowly  escaped  having  our  throats  cut. 

One  morning  as  I  was  preparing  to  set  off  to  cut  wood, 
poor  Devoise,  addressing  me  in  a  faint  and  languishing 
voice,  said,  "  The  illusion  is  now  over;  I  have  hitherto 
fiattered  myself  with  hopes  of  again  beholding  my  na- 
tive country,  but  I  feel  my  strength  forsake  me.  This 
night,  my  dear  friend;  for  this  tide  justly  belongs  to  you, 
after  all  your  care,  you  will  find  my  body  arrested  by 
the  cold  hand  of  death.  Adieu,  my  friend  !  the  tears 
which  you  strive  to  conceal,  are  a  new  proof  of  your 
attachment.  Write  to  my  brother  ;  tell  him  that  I  re- 
membered him  in  my  last  moments,  and  that  I  die  with 
the  sentiments  of  a  true  Christian.v  Adieu !  my  lasi 


252  THE    SHIPWRECK    OF 

moment  is  nearer  than  I  expected.  I  expire  !" 
spoke  no  more  ;  that  moment,  indeed,  was  his  last. 
•'I  was  deeply  affected  at  loosing  M.  Devoise,  though  I 
had  only  known  him  since  our  departure  from  Prance. 
I  went  into  the  field  to  seek  the  only  companion  I  had 
now  left,  and,  upon  our  return,  we  were  ordered  to  car- 
ry away  our  friend's  body,  and  to  dig  a  very  deep  pit; 
in  order,  as  the  Arabs  said,  to  conceal  fliat  Christian 
from  the  sight  of  their  children.  This  last  duty  to  the 
deceased,  we  performed  with  difficulty  ;  for,  being  too 
weak  to  carry  him,  we  were  obliged  to  drag  him  by  the 
feet  three  quarters  of  a  league.  The  earth,  at  the  brink 
of  the  pit  giving  way,  I  tumbled  in  first,  and  was  very 
near  expiring  under  the  weight  of  the  body. 

A  few  days  afterwards  we  quitted  that  place  to  seek  a 
more  fertile  spot,  and  encamped  in  the  vicinity  of  sev- 
eral other  tribes,  where  I  found  one  of  our  sailors, 
Earned  D^enoux,  who  was  a  slave  like  myself.  I  enquir- 
^  what  had  become  of  my  companions.  "  Six  of  them 
(said  he)  were  carried  away  by  the  Emperor's  son,  soon 
after  our  shipwreck,  and  have  since  gone  to  France. 
M.  Taflfaro,  the  surgeon- major,  died  of  blows  he  re- 
ceived on  the  head  with  a  large  stick ;  M.  Raboin,  2d. 
lieutenant,  likewise  expired  in  dreadful  torture.  Others, 
to  avoid  the  horrors  of  famine,  have  renounced  their 
religion.  As  for  me,  it  will  not  be  long  before  I  follow 
those  whom  death  has  delivered  from  their  misery.  Be- 
hold in  what  a  condition  I  am ;  there  is  no  kind  of  ill- 
treatment  to  which  I  am  not  daily  exposed." 

Upon  the  information  that  some  of  the  crew  had  re- 
turned to  France,  I  conceived  new  hopes,  thinking  that 
the  marine  minister  would  transmit  positive  orders  to 
reclaim  the  rest.  Such  commands  were  actually  re- 
ceived by  the  vice-consul  at  Morocco,  but  he  neglected 
to  execute  them.  I  was  reflecting  upon  the  cause  of  this 
total  neglect,  when  upon  retiring  behind  my  bash,  I  was 
much  astonished  to  see  my  master's  camels  returning 
without  a  guide.  Being  called,  rather  too  late  to  receive 
my  portion  of  milk,  and  not  seeing  the  poor  baker,  I 
took  the  liberty  of  inquiring  what  was  become  of  him, 
but  the  Arabs  returned  a  very  cold  apswcr,  a*  d  <! 


M.    DE    BRISSON.  253 

sue  from  their  presence.  Early  the  next  morning  a 
young  Arab,  employed  in  tending  the  flocks,  informed 
ine  that  Sidy  Mohammed,  suspecting  that  the  baker 
privately  milked  his  camels,  watched  him,  and  having 
caught  him  in  the  act,  seized  him  by  the  throat  and 
strangled  him. 

I  was  now  the  only  slave  remaining  in  the  hamlet, 
aud  had  no  longer  any  companion  to  whom  I  could 
comunicate  my  misfortunes.  My  situation  became  daily 
more  deplorable,  but  yet  I  resolved  not  to  suffer  myself 
to  he  dejected. 

This  resolution,  and  my  conduct  towards  those  who 
had  endeavored  to  humble  me,  procured  me  some  res- 
pect among  these  savages  ;  so  that  I  was  occasionly 
permited  to  lodge  in  the  back  of  their  tents,  and  even 
sometimes  to  drink  out  of  their  vessels.  My  master, 
too,  suffered  me  to  remain  unmolested,  and  1  was  no 
longer  required  to  tend  his  camels.  It  is  true,  he  never 
said  a  word  concerning  my  liberty,  but  if  he  had  I 
should  not  have  regarded  it,  as  I  was  so  well  acquainted 
with  his  perfidy  that  I  placed  not  the  least  confidence  in 
him.  It  was,  however,  necessary  for  me  to  make 
faggots,  as  I  had  done  for  some  time,  in  order  to  ex- 
change them  for  milk,  being  often  driven  by  thirst  al- 
most -to  madness.  The  Arabs  themselves  suffered  ex- 
ceedingly from  the  same  cause  ;  several  of  them  died  of 
hunger  and  thirst  ;  this  being  the  fourth  season  in  which 
their  crops  had  been  destroyed  by  drought.  This  dread- 
ful situation  had  so  irritated  their  minds,  that  the  differ- 
ent tribes  made  war  upon  each  oU)er.  Milk  entirely  failed 
them,  and  each  tried  who  could  carry  off  most  castle, 
for  the  purpose  of  killing  them  and  drying  the  fiesh. 
Water  was  still  scarcer,  as  little  is  to  be  found  HI  the 
desert,  excepting  towards  the  sea,  and  even  there  it  is 
black,  putrid,  and  brackish.  The  bad  quality  of  this 
beverage,  together  with  the  want  of  pasturage,  always 
keeps  the  Arabs  at  a  distance  from  the  coast.  Being 
destitute  of  every  kind  of  provision,  none  attempted  to 
pu.sue  his  journey.  Those  who  had  the  least  milk 
.quenched  ihoir  thirst  from  the  bowels  of  the  camels 
which  they  kilied,  From  the  stomachs  of  these  ani- 
X 


254  THE    SHIPWRECK   O¥ 

raals  they  pressed  a  greenish  kind  of  water,  which -they 
carefully  preserved,  and  boiled  their  flesh  in  it.  That 
procured  from  the  bodies  of  their  goats  had  the  taste 
and  smell  of  sweet  fennel,  and  the  broth  made  of  it 
never  appeared  disagreeable  ;  but  that  procured  from 
.the  camel  was  not  equally  .pleasing  to  the  taste.  I  was 
much  astonished,  that  these  animals,  which  never  drink 
above  two  or  three  times  a  year,  and  eat  nothing  but 
dried  plants,  should  have  such  a  prodigious  calamity  of 
water  in  their  stomachs. 

In  order  to  regain  my  liberty  I  found  means  to  get 
again  into  my  possession  the  treasure  I  had  given  the 
Arab,  which  might  have  enabled  me  to  cross  the  desert, 
and  to  bribe  the  Arabs  to  conduct  me  to  Morocco. 
Sidy  Mohammed,  however,  missed  it,  and  prevailed  on 
me,  by  powerful  arguments,  once  more  to  restore  it. 
"The  principal  inducement  was  a  promise  of  being  sent 
to  Mogador,  and  meanwhile  to  be  allowed  a  sufficient 
quantity  of  milk,  night  and  morning. 

At  length  chance  conducted  Sidy  Mahmud,  sheriff  of 
the  tribe  of  Trargea^  to  the  place  which  I  was  watering 
with  my  tears.  He  enquired  who  I  was,  upon  which 
the  Arabs  acquainted  him  with  my  history,  boasting  of 
the  great  riches,  in  powder  and  arms,  which  I  was  said 
to  possess  at  Senegal.  The  sheriff  immediately  recol- 
lected me,  asked  me  what  situation  I  had  held  in  the 
island  of  St.  Louis,  and  I  answered  his  questions.  Look- 
ing at  me  nearer,  he  exclaimed  :  "  What !  art  thou  Bris- 
son  ?"  Upon  my  replying  in  the  affirmative,  be  appear- 
ed greatly  astonished,  and  addressing  himself  to  the 
Arabs  :  "  You  know  not  this  Christian,  (said  he,)  every 
.thing  at  Senegal  belongs  to  him."  This  man  having 
seen  me  deliver  stores  in  the  king's  magazine,  imagined 
that  they  were  my  property  ;  and  my  master's  brother- 
in-law,  Sidy  Selim,  hearing  this  flattering  account  of  my 
riches,  did  not  scruple  to  purchase  me  at  the  price  of 
five  camels. 

I  was  ignorant  of  this  bargain,  when  I  was  unexf; 
edly  filled  with  joy  and  surprise.    Returning  one  evenirt: 
with  my  master  from  watering  our  camels,  for  the  third 
time  during  three  months,  my  mistress  ordered  me  to 


M.    DE    BRISSON.  25  3> 

*  firry  a  leallier  bucket,  which  she  had  borrowed,  to  a 
neighboring  tent.  There  I  found  Sidy  Selim,  who, 
calling  me  to  him,  directed  me  to  prepare  to  depart  with 
him  the  next  morning  for  Mogador.  I  had  been  so  often 
flattered  with  this  hope,  and  as  often  deceived,  that  I 
could  scarcely  believe  him  to  be  in  earnest.  The  ap- 
pearance, however,  of  some  preparation  for  the  propos- 
ed journey,  convinced  me  that  he  was,  and  (he  old 
man  repeating  his  protestations,  I  was  so  transported 
that  I  threw  myself  at  his  feet,  wept,  sighed,  and  laugh- 
ed ;  in  short,  I  knew  not  what  I  was  doing.  In  order  to 
feel  or  form  an  idea  of  what  I  experienced,  when  I  learn- 
ed that  the  chains  of  rny  servitude  were  broken,  a  per- 
son must  have  been  reduced  to  a  similar  situation. 

My  former  master  then  called  me,  and  told  me  that  I 
no  longer  belonged  to  him.  "  I  have  fulfilled  my  promise, 
(he  added,)  you  are  going  to  be  restored  to  your  coun- 
try." These  words  made  me  forget  all  my  resentment, 
and  resign  myself  entirely  to  joy,  which  was  increased 
when  informed  that  I  was  to  have  a  companion.  "  We 
are  going  to  join  him,  (said  he)  a  few  paces  hence/3 
I  was  tar  from  suspecting  that  he  meant  tLe  unfortunate 
baker.  The  moment  I  saw  him,  I  asked  by  what  mira- 
cle he  had  been  restored  to  life.  "  Alas  !  (he  replied.) 
I  know  not  how  I  escaped  death.  Sidy  Mohammed  one 
clay  surprised  me  milking  his  camels.  He  ran  up  to  me. 
gave  me  several  blows,  and  squeezed  my  throat  so 
closely  that  I  fell  almost  lifeless  at  his  feet.  Upon  re- 
covering  my  senses,  I  was  astonished  to  find  myself 
alone.  My  neck  was  covered  with  blood,  and  you  may 
still  see  the  marks  of  his  nails.  I  crawled,  as  well  as  I 
was  able,  into  a  cavern  of  the  rock,  which  several  times 
echoed  the  voice  of  my  barbarous  master,  who  came 
back  to  look  for  me,  or  at  least  to  see  in  what  situation 
I  was.  I  had  resolved  either  to  starve  myself  to  death, 
or  to  make  for  the  sea-coast,  in  the  hope  of  meeting 
with  some  vessel.  I  arrived  there  after  a  journey  often 
days,  during  which  time  I  had  no  food  but  snails,  and 
nothing  to  drink  but  my  own  urine.  I  had  scarcely  pro- 
ceeded twenty  paces  among  the  rocks,  in  order  to  hail 
a  small  sloop,  which  lay  at  anchor  off  the  coast,  when  I 


258  THE   SHIPWRECK   OF 

was  seized  by  two  young  Arabs,  who  took  the  greatest 
care  of  me  ;  and  since  that  time  I  have  been  their  slave. 
They  appeared  to  be  of  a  much  milder  disposition  than 
the  Arabs  of  the  interior,  and  are  much  more  industrious. 
They  informed  me,  about  a  fortnight  ago,  that  they  were 
going  to  take  me  to  the  sultan,  and  lam  inclined  to  be- 
lieve that  their  reason  for  bringing  me  hither,  was.  be- 
cause they  had  agreed  upon  this  place  of  rendezvous 
with  your  master,  after  informing  him  that  they  had  ine 
in  their  possession." 

Sidy  Mohammed's  behaviour,  upon  taking  leave  of 
me,  was  very  affecting.  "  Adieu,  my  dear  Brisson  !" 
said  he,  "  you  are  about  to  undertake  a  long  journey. 
You  will  soon  perceive  that  I  had  great  reason  to  be 
afraid  of  it.  I  wish  no  danger  may  befal  you,  and  that 
your  passage  by  sea  may  be  more  fortunate  than  the 
last.  Adieu !  forget  not  to  send  my  wife  the  scarlet 
cloth.  Charge  it  to  the  account  of  Sidy  Selim.  Occe 
more  adieu,  my  dear  Brisson  !"  The  tears  which  accom- 
panied his  last  words,  might  have  deceived  me,  had  I 
not  known  what  an  adept  he  was  in  the  art  of  dissimu- 
lation. 

After  we  had  been  sixty-six  days  on  our  journey,  my 
strength  was  exhausted,  my  legs  were  prodigiously 
swollen,  my  feet  covered  with  running  sores,  and  I 
should  infallibly  have  sunk  under  my  misfortunes,  had 
not  my  master,  to  encourage  me,  every  now  and  then 
.said,  "  Behold  the  sea !  Dost  not  thou  see  the  ships  ? 
Have  a  good  heart ;  we  are  almost  at  our  journey's  end,77 
Hope  supported  me,  and  when  I  least  expected  it,  I  be- 
held the  element  of  which  I  had  so  much  cause  to  com- 
plain. Upon  quitting  a  labyrinth  of  broom  bushes,  we 
arrived  at  the  top  of  a  few  little  sand-hills,  when,  to 
my  inexpressible  joy — a  joy,  of  which  the  reader  cau 
scarcely  form  any  idea — I  perceived  the  French  colors, 
and  those  of  several  other  nations,  floating  over  the 
poops  of  different  vessels  lying  in  the  harbor  of  Moga- 
dor,  which  place,  I,  as  yet,  knew  only  by  the  name  of 
Saira.  "  Well,  Brisson  !"  said  my  master,  "  art  thou 
content  ?  Dost  thou  not  see  the  vessels  ?  Are  there 
any  French  ?  I  promised  to  conduct  thee  to  the  consul, 


M.    DE    BRISSON,  257 

and  thou  seest  that  I  have  kept  my  word.  But  what  is 
the  matter  :  thou  art  quite  silent  ?"  Alas  !  what  could  I 
answer !  I  could  scarcely  give  vent  to  my  tears  ;  and  to 
articulate  a  word  was  impossible.  I  surveyed  the  sea, 
the  colors,  the  ships,  and  the  city,  and  thought  that  every- 
thing I  beheld  was  only  an  illusion.  The  unfortunate 
baker,  equally  affected  and  surprised,  joined  his  sighs 
with  mine,  while  my  tears  bathed  the  hands  of  the  gener- 
ous old  man  who  had  procured  me  the  enjoyment  of 
such  an  agreeable  prospect. 

On  entering  the  city  we  met  two  Europeans,  "  Who- 
ever thou  art,  (said  I,)  behold  the  misery  of  an  unfortu- 
nate man,  and  deign  to  assist  him  Afford  me  some 
consolation,  and  revive  my  drooping  spirits.  Where 
am  I  ?  Of  what  country  are  you  ?  What  day  of  the 
month  is  it  ?  What  day  of  the  week  is  it  ?"  I  found 
that  I  addressed  two  of  my  countrymen  from  Bordeaux, 
who  after  looking  at  me  a  few  moments,  went  to  inform 
Messrs  Duprat  ami  Cahanes,  who  considered  it  their 
duty  to  relieve,  as  far  as  lay  in  their  power,  such  unhappy 
people  as  might  bs  driven  upon  these  coasts.  Those 
gentlemen  came  to  meet  me>  and  without  being  disgust- 
ed at  my  appearance^  which  was  far  from  inviting,  they 
clasped  me  in  their  arms  and  shed  tears  of  joy  at  being 
able  to  relieve  an  unfortunate  man. 

While  [  was  wailing  for  an  audience  with  the  emperor, 
I  saw  a  captain  review  l\is  troop.  Me  was  seated  upon 
the  ground,  with  his  chin  resting  upon  his  two  fists,  and 
his  arms  placed  upon  his  knees,  which  were  bent  up- 
wards. He  made  his  soldiers  advance  two  by  two,  then 
gave  his  orders,  upon  which  the  men,  afier  prostrating 
before  him,  retired  to  their  posts;  or  went  to  enjoy  their 
amusement. 

Five  or  six  of  the  guards  arriving  with  white  staves, 
suddenly  leaped  upon  me,  seized  me  by  the  collar,  like 
a  malefactor,  and  having  ordered  two  large  folding  doors, 
like  those  of  our  barns,  to  be  opened,  they  pushed  me 
rudely  into  u  kind  of  enclosure,  where  I  looked  in  vain 
for  an}r  thing  announcing  the  majesty  of  the  throne. 
Having  walked  fifteen  or  twenty  paces  past  a  kind  of 
wheel-barrow,  my  attendants  made  me  suddenly 
X2 


258  THE   SHIPWRECK   ®F 

about,  and  pushing  me  in  a  brutal  manner,  ordered  me 
to  prostrate  myself  before  this  wheel  barrow,  in  which  the 
emperor  was  seated  cross-legged,  amusing  himself  with 
stroking  his  toes.  Having  looked  at  me  tor  some  time, 
he  asked,  if  I  was  not  one  of  those  Christian  slaves 
whose  vessel  had  been  cast  away  upon  his  coasts  about 
a  year  before ;  what  was  the  intention  of  my  voyage  to 
Senegal,  &c.  "  You  were  lost  through  your  own  fault," 
said  he,  "  Why  did  you  not  keep  farther  from  the  shore  ? 
Art  thou  rich  ?  Art  thcu  married  ?" 

I  had  scarcely  answered  these  questions,  when  he  or- 
dered paper  and  ink  to  be  brought  him,  with  a  small 
reed,  which  he  used  as  a  pen.  He  then  traced  out  the 
four  cardinal  points,  to  shew  me  that  Paris  lay  towards 
the  north,  and  wrote  down  a  few  cyphers,  as  far  as 
twelve,  asking  me  if  I  knew  them.  He  likewise  put 
several  questions  of  the  same  kind,  to  display  the  great 
extent  of  his  learning. 

"  Did  the  mountaineers  treat  thee  well  1  (continued 
the  prince  ;)  Did  they  take  much  of  thy  effects  ?"  I  re- 
plied to  all  his  questions  ;  observing,  that  in  proportion 
as  we  approached  the  capital,  we  found  the  manners  of 
the  inhabitants  milder  and  more  civilized.  "  My  authori- 
ty does  not  extend  over  all  the  country  thou  hast  travers- 
ed, (said  he,)  or  rather  my  orders  cannot  be  conveyed  SQ 
for.  With  whom  didst  thou  come  ?"  With  Sidy  Selim, 
of  the  tribe  of  Roussye.  "  I  know  him,  let  him  be 
brought  hither."  A  moment  afterwards  my  master  wag 
introduced.  The  emperor  ordered  one  of  his  guards  to 
take  care  of  me  and  the  baker,  till  he  should  receive 
fresh  orders,  and  to  supply  me  with  food  from  the  royal 
kitchen ;  this  man  seemed  greatly  surprised  that  the  sul- 
tan should  have  conversed  so  long  with  a  slave. 

Fortunately  the  French  consul  was  at  this  time,  in 
great  favor  with  the  emperor,  on  account  of  some  pres- 
ents which  he  had  made  him.  The  emperor,  for  this 
reason,  set  all  the  prisoners  at  liberty,  and  me  among 
the  rest ;  so  that  we  had  now  only  to  consider  of  the 
necessary  measures  for  our  return  to  France. 

The  Arabs  of  the  desert  among  whom  I  had  resided, 
are  so  ignorant,  that  they  not  only  consider  themselves 


M.    BE    ERISSON, 

as  the  principal  nation  in  the  world,  but  have  the  foolish 
vanity  to  belive  that  the  sun  rises  for  them  only  :  "  Be- 
hold that  luminary,  (said  they,)  which  is  unknown  in 
thy  country  !  During  the  night  thou  art  not  lighted  as 
we  are,  by  that  heavenly  body  which  regulates  our  days 
and  our  fasts.  His  children,  (meaning  the  stars,)  point 
out  to  us  the  hours  of  prayer.  You  have  neither  trees 
nor  camels,  sheep,  goats,  nor  dogs.  Are  your  women 
made  like  ours  ?"  "  Indeed,  (said  one,  counting  my 
fingers  and  toes,)  he  is  made  like  us  ;  he  differs  only  in 
his  color  and  language,  which  astonishes  me.  Do  you 
sow  barley  in  your  houses  ?"  (meaning  our  ships.)  No, 
answered  I ;  we  sow  our  fields  almost  in  the  same  sea- 
son as  you.  "  How  !  (exclaimed  several  of  them,)  do 
you  live  upon  land  ?  We  believed  that  you  were  born 
and  lived  upon  the  sea." 

As  soon  as  my  quarantine  was  finished  at  Cadiz,  where 
I  landed,  before  I  proceeded  to  my  native  land,  or  to 
the  arms  of  a  tender  and  affectionate  wife,  I  wrote  to  the 
Marechal  de  Castries  that  I  waited  his  orders  to  return 
to  Senegal.  Charged  with  fresh  despatches,  I  again  em- 
barked at  Havre  de  Grace,  on  the  6th  of  May,  1787, 
and  had  the  good  fortune  to  arrive  at  the  island  of  St, 
Ijoute,  without  any  accident. 


260 


SHIPWRECK   OF 

THE  JONGE  THOMAS, 

Dutch  East-lndiaman,  at  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope, 
June  tlie  2df,  1773. 


the  1st  of  June,  1773,  being  Whit-Mon- 
day, there  arose  at  the  Cape  a  very  high  north-west 
wind,  with  voilent  hurricanes  and  showers  of  rain.  At 
iiight,  in  this  storm,  the  Jonge  Thomas,  one  of  the-  four 
ships  belonging  to  the  Company  that  were  still  in  the 
road,  having  lost  all  her  anchors,  one  after  the  other, 
was  driyen  on  th«  sands  near  the  shore  at  Zoul  River, 
and,  in  consequence  of  her  heavy  lading,  parted  into 
pieces  in  the  middle.  The  surge  rose  to  an  amazing 
height  on  the  shore,  and  Zoul  River  was  so  swollen  as 
to  be  almost  impassable.  li  is  true  from  the  middle  of 
May  to  the  middle  of  August,  the  Company's  ships  are 
prohibited  from  lying  in  the  road  ;  yet  it  sometimes  hap- 
pens, that  the  governor  permits  it,  in  order  to  avoid 
the  inconveniences  of  victualling  and  lading  the  ships  in 
False  Bay.  Independently  of  the  loss  sustained  by  the 
Company,  as  well  in  ships  as  merchandise,  a  number  of 
the  crew  likewise  unfortunately  perished  on  this  occa- 
sion. They  were  lost  for  want  of  assistance,  and  met 
with  a  deplorable  death  very  near  the  land.  Only  sixty- 
three  men  escaped  ;  one  hundred  and  forty-nine  being 
unhappily  drowned. 

The  ship  had  scarcely  struck,  which  happened  just  at 
day-break,  when  the  most  efficacious  measures  were  err- 
ployed,  to  save  as  much  as  possible  of  the  company's 


3HIFVVRECK    OF   THE   JO^GE    THOMAS.  261 

property,  that  might  chance  to  be  cast  on  shore  ;  though 
not  the  least  care  was  taken  to  deliver  a  tingle  soul  of 
the  crew  from  their  forlorn  and  miserable  situation. 
Thirty  men  were  instantly  ordered  out,  with  a  stripling 
of  a  lieutenant,  from  the  citadel,  to  the  place  where  the 
ship  lay,  in  order  to  keep  a  strict  look  out,  and  prevent 
any  of  the  Company's  effects  from  being  stolen.  A 
gibbet  was  erected,  and  an  edict  issued  at  the  same 
time,  importing  that  whoever  should  come  near  the 
spot,  should  be  hanged  immediately,  without  trial,  or 
sentence  being  passed  upon  them*  On  this  account, 
the  compassionate  inhabitants,  who  had  gone  out  on 
borseback  to  the  assistance  of  the  wretched  sufferers, 
were  obliged  to  return,  witfiout  being  able  to  do  theirt 
the  least  service ;  but,  on  the  contrary,  witnessed  the 
brutality  and  want  of  feeling  evinced  on  this  occasion 
by  certain  persons,  who  did  not  bestow  a  thought  on 
affording  the  least  assistance  or  relief  to  their  fellow- 
creatures  upon  the  wreck,  perishing  with  cold,  hunger, 
and  thirst,  and  almost  in  the  arms  of  death. 

Another  circumstance  tended  to  render  this  otherwise 
distressing  scene  still  more  afflicting.  Among  the  few 
lucky  enough  to  save  their  lives  by  swimming  from  the 
wreck,  was  the  gunner,  who  stripped  himself  quite  mik- 
ed, in  order  that  he  might  swim  the  easier,  and  had  the 
good  luck  to  come  alive  to  shore,  which  was  not  the 
case  with  every  one  who  could  swim  ;  for  mahy  were 
either  dashed  to  pieces  against  the  rocks,  or  by  the  vio- 
lence of  the  surf,  carried  again  into  the  sea.  When  he 
arrived  on  shore  he  found  his  chest  landed  before  him ; 
but  just  as  he  was  going  to  open  it,  and  take  out  hig 
great  coat,  the  lieutenant  who  commanded  the  party, 
drove  him  away  from  it,  and  though  he  earnestly  beg- 
ged for  leave  to  take  out  the  clothes  necessary  for  cov> 
eriag  his  naked  and  shivering  body,  and  could  also 
prove  by  the  key,  fastened,  according  to  the  sailor's 
custom,  to  his  waist,  as  well  as  by  his  name  cut  on  the 
lid  of  his  chest,  that  it  was  actually  his  property,  he  was, 
nevertheless,  forced  to  retreat  without  effecting  his  pur- 
pose, by  this  merciless  hero,  who  gave  him  several 
smart  blows  with  bis  cane  on  his  bare  back.  After  he 


262  SHIPWRECK   OF   THE   JONGE   THOMAS. 

had  passed  the  whole  day  naked  and  hungry,  and  ex- 
posed to  the  piercing  winds,  and  was  going  to  be  taken, 
in  the  evening,-  to  town  i.long  with  others  who  had  been 
saved  from  the  wreck,  he  again  asked  leave  to  take  a 
coat  out  of  his  chest  to  cover  himself  with  ;  but  this 
having  been  previously  plundered,  he  found  empty. 
On  entering  the  town,  where  he  arrived  stark  naked,  he 
met  with  a  burgher,  who  took  compassion  on  him  ami 
lent  him  bis  great  coat.  Afterwards,  he,  as  well  as  the 
other  unfortunate  wretches,  were  obliged  to  run  about 
the  town,  several  days  together,-  begging  victuals, 
clothes,  and  money,  till  at  length  they  received  support 
at  the  Company's  expense,  and  were  again  taken  iiito 
its  service. 

Another  action,  honorable  to  humanity,  deserves  the 
more  to  be  recorded,  as  it  shews,  that  at  all  times,  and 
in  all  places,  there  are  both  good  and  considerate  peo- 
ple, as  well  as  such  who  have  nothing  human  but  the 
shape.  An  old  man,  of  the  name  of  Wottemad,  by 
birth  an  European,  who  was  at  this  time  the  keeper  of 
the  beasts  at  the  inanagerie,  near  the  garden,  had  a  son 
in  the  citadel,,  who  was  a  corporal,  and  among  the  first 
who  had  been  ordered  out  to  Paarde,n  Island,  ( Horse 
Island,)  where  a  guard  was  to  be  placed  for  the  wrecked 
goods.  This  worthy  veteran  borrowed  a  horse,  and 
rode  out  in  the  morning  with  a  bottle  of  wine  and  a  loaf 
of  bread  for  his  son's  breakfast.  This  happened  so  early 
that  the  gibbet  had  not  yet  been  erected,  nor  the  edic£ 
posted  up,  to  point  out  to  the  traveller  the  nearest  road 
to  eternity.  The  hoary  sire  had  no  sooner  delivered  to 
his  son  the  refreshments  he  had  brought  him,  and  heard 
the  lamentations  of  the  distressed  crew  from  the  wreck, 
than  he  resolved  to  ride  his  horse,  which  was  a  good 
swimmer,  to  the  wreck,  with  a  view  of  saving  some  of 
them.  He  returned  safe  with  two  of  the  unfortunate 
sufferers,  and  repeated  this  dangerous  trip  six  timesf 
each  time  bringing  with  him  two  men,  and  thus  saved, 
in  all,  fourteen  persons.  The  horse  was  by  this  time  so 
much  fatigued,  that  he  did  not  think  it  prudent  to  venture 
out  again  ;  but  the  cries  and,  intreiities  of  the  poor  suffer- 
ers on  the  wreck  increasing,  he  ventured  one  trip  more, 


SHIPWRECK    OF   THE   JONGE    THOMAS.  268 

which  proved  so  unfortunate,  that  he  lost  his  own  life,  as 
on  this  occasion,  too  many  rushed  upon  him  at  once, 
some  catching  hold  of  the  horses  tail,  and  others  of  the 
bridle,  by  which  means,  the  horse  wearied  out,  and  too 
heavily  laden,  turned  head  over  heels,  and  all  drowned 
I  together. 

This  noble  and  heroic  action  of  a  superanuated  old 
man  shews  that  a  great  number  of  lives  might  probably 
have  been  saved,  if  a  strong  rope  had  been  fastened  by 
one  end  to  the  wreck  and  by  the  other  to  the  shore- 
When  the  storm  and  waves  had  subsided,  the  ship  was 
found  to  lie  at  so  small  a  distance  from  the  land  that 
one  might  almost  have  leaped  from  her  upon  the  shore. 

On  receiving  intelligence  of  the  above  event,  the  East- 
India  Directors  in  Holland,  ordered  one  of  their  ships  to 
be  called  the  Woltemad,  and  the  story  of  his  hu- 
manity to  be  painted  on  the  stern  :  they  farther  enjoined 
the  regency  of  the  Cape  to  provide  for  his  decendants. 

Unfortunately,  in  the  southern  hemisphere,  all  were 
not  impressed  with  the  same  sentiments  of  gratitude. 
The  young  corporal  Woltemad,  who  had  been  an  una- 
vailing witness  of  his  father  having  sacrificed  himself  in 
the  service  of  the  Company  and  of  mankind,  wished  in 
vain  to  be  gratified  with  his  father's  place,  humble  as  it 
was.  Stung  with  the  disappointment,  he  left  that  un- 
grateful country  and  went  to  Batavia,  where  he  died  be- 
fore the  news  of  such  a  great  and  unexpected  recom- 
mendation could  reach  him. 


26* 


LOSS   OP   THE 

APOLLO  FRIGATE, 

Jnd  Twenty-Nine  Sail  of  West-Indiamen,  near 
on  tfie  Coast  of  Portugal,  April  2,  1804. 

By  an  Officer  of  the  Apollo. 

JVI.ONDAY,  the  26th  of  March,  sailed  from  the 
Cove  of  Cork,  in  company  with  his  majesty's  ship  Ga- 
rysfprt,  and  Sixty-Nine  sail  of  merchant  ships,  under 
convoy  for  the  West-Indies ;  27th,  were  out  of  sight  of 
land,  with  a  fair  wind,  blowing  a  strong  gale,  and  steer- 
ing W.  S.  W.  .  The  28th,  29th,  a*id  30th,  weather  and 
course  nearly  the  same  ;  31st,  the  wind  came  more  to 
the  westward,  but  more  moderate.  Sunday,  the  1st  of 
AprH,  at  noon,  observed  in  lat.  40  deg,  51  min.  north; 
longitude,  per  account,  12  deg.  20 min.  west;  at  eight 
o'clock  on  Sunday  evening  the  wind  shifted  to  the  S.  W. 
blowing  very  fresh;  course  S.  S.  E.  At  ten,  up  main- 
sail, and  set  the  main  stay-sail.  At  a  quarter  past  ten 
the  main-sail  split  by  the  sheeting  giving  way ;  called  all 
hands  upon  deck.  At  half  past  ten  strong  breezes  acd 
squally;  took  in  foretop  sail,  and  set  the  fore-sail.  At 
half  past  eleven  the  maintop-sail  split ;  furled  it  and  the 
main-sail.  The  ship  was  now  under  her  fore-sail,  main, 
arid  mizen  storm  stay-sail ;  the  wind  blowing  hard,  with 
a  very  heavy  sea. 

About  half  past  three  on  Monday  morning;,  the  2d, 
the  ship  struck  the  ground,  to  the  astonishment  of  every 
one  cm  board;  and,  by  the  above  reckoning,  we  then 


LOSS    OF    THE    APOLLO    FRIGATE.  2*3 

conjectured  upon  an  unknown  shore.  She  continued 
striking  the  ground  very  heavily  sever?.!  times,  by  which 
her  bottom  was  materially  damaged,  making  much  wa- 
ter ;  the  chain-pumps  were  rigged  with  the  utmost  dis- 
patch, and  the  men  began  to  pump,  but  in  about  ten 
minutes  she  beat  and  drove  over  the  shoal.  On  en- 
deavoring to  steer  her,  found  her  rudder  carried  away — 
she  then  got  before  the  wind  ;  the  pumps  were  kept 
going,  but  from  the  quantity  of  water  she  shipped,  there 
appeared  every  probability  of  her  soon  foundering,  from 
her  filling,  and  sinking  very  fast. 

After  running  about  five  minutes,  the  ship  struck  the 
ground  again,  with  such  tremendous  shocks,  that  all 
were  fearful  she  would  instantly  go  to  pieces,  arid  she 
kept  stricking  and  driving  farther  on  the  sands,  the  sea 
making  breaches  completely  over  her.  The  lanyards  of 
the  main  and  mizen  rigging  being  cut  away,  the  masts 
fell,  with  a  tremendous  crash,  over  the  larboard  side  ; 
the  fore  mast  went  immediately  after.  The  ship  then 
fell  on  her  starboard  side,  with  the  gunwale  under  water. 
The  violence  with  which  she  struck  the  ground,  and  the 
weight  of  the  guns,  those  on  the  quarter-deck  tearing 
away  the  bulwark,  soon  made  the  ship  a  perfect  wreck 
abalt;  only  four  gr  five  guns  could  possibly  be  fired  to 
alarm  the  convoy,  and  give  notice  .of  danger.  On  her 
stricking  the  second  time,  most  pitiful  cries  were  heard 
every  where  between  decks,  many  of  the  men  giving 
themselves  up  to  inevitable  death.  I  was  told  that  I 
might  as  weil  stay  below,  as  there  was  an  equal  likeli- 
hood of  perishing  if  I  got  upon  deck.  I  determined  to 
go,  but  first  attempted  to  enter  my  calm*,  though  in  dan- 
ger of  having  my  legs  broken  by  the  chests  floating 
about,  and  the  bulk-heads  giving  way  ;  I  therefore  de- 
sisted, and  endeavored  to  get  upon  the  deck,  which  I 
effected,  after  being  several  times  washed  down  the 
hatchway,  by  the  immense  volume  of  water  incessantly 
pouring  down.  The  ship  still  beating  the  ground  very 
violently,  made  it  necessary  to  cling  fast  to  some  part  of 
the  wreck,  to  prevent  being  carried  by  the  surges,  or 
hurled  by  the  dreadful  concussions,  overboard ;  the  peo- 
ple holding  fast  by  Ihe  larboard  bulwark  of  the  quarter- 
Y 


L&S9    OF   THE   APOLLO 

deck,  and  the  mam  channels,  while  our  Captain  stood 
naked  upon  the  cabin  sky-light  grating,  holding  fast  by 
the  stump  of  the  mizen-mast,  and  making  use  of  every 
soothing  expression  which  could  have  been  suggested  to 
encourage  men  in  such  a  perilous  situation.  Most  of  the 
officers  and  men  were  entirely  naked,  not  having  time 
to  slip  on  a  pair  of  trowsers.  Our  horrible  situation 
every  moment  became  more  dreadful ;  until  day  light 
appearing,  about  half  past  four  o'clock,  discovered  to  us 
the  land,  at  about  two  cables  length  distance,  a  long 
sandy  beach,  reaching  to  €ape  Mondego,  three  leagues 
to  the  southward  of  us.  On  day-light  clearing  up,  we 
.could  perceive  between  twenty  and  thirty  sail  of  the 
convoy  ,ashore,  both  to  the  northward  and  southward, 
.and  several  of  them  perfect  wrecks.  Being  now  certain 
of  being  on  the  coast  of  Portugal,  from  seeing  the  above 
€ape,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  no  person  in  the  ship  had  the 
least  idea  of  being  so  near  that  coast.  It  blowing  hard, 
and  a  very  great  swell  of  the  sea,  (or  what  is  generally 
termed,  waves,  running  mountains  high,)  there  was  little 
prospect  of  being  saved.  About  eight  o'clock,  there 
feeing  e^very  likelihood  of  the  ship's  going  to  pieces,  and 
the  after  part  'laying  lowest,  Captain  Dixon  ordered  every 
person  forward,  which  H  was  very  difficult  to  comply 
with,  from  the  motion  of  tbe  main-mast  working  on  the 
larboard  gunwale,  there  being  po  other  way  to  get  for- 
ward. Mr.  Cook,  the  boatswain,  had  his  thigh  broken, 
in  endeavoring  to  get  aboat  over  the  side  ;  of  six  fine 
boats  not  one  was  saved,  being  all  staved  and  carried 
over  with  the  booms,  &LC.  Soon  after  the  people  got 
forward,  the  ship  parted  at  the  gangways.  The  crew 
were  now  obliged  to  stow  themselves  in  the  fore  chan- 
nels, and  from  thence  to  the  bowsprit  cad,  to  the  itcrn- 
jber  of  two  hundred  and  twenty  ;  for  out  of  two  hundred 
and  forty  persons  on  board  when  the  ship  struck,  I  sup- 
pose twenty  to  have  previously  perished  between  decks, 
and  otherwise.  Mr.  Lawton,  the  gunner,  the  first  per- 
son who  attempted  to  swim  on  shore,  was  drowned  ; 
afterwards  Lieutenant  Wilson;  Mr.  Runcie,  surgeon; 
Mr.  M'Cabe,  surgeon's  mate;  Mr.  Stanley,  master's 
mate ;  ami  several  men,  shared  the  same  fate,  by  reason 


LOSS    OF   THE    APOLLO    FIUGATi,.  2&t 

of  the  sea  breaking  in  enormous  surges  over -them l 
though  excellent  .swimmers.  About  thirty  persons  had- 
the  good  fortune  to  reach  the  shore,  up  ,n  planks  and 
spars,  amorg  whom  were  Lieutenant  Harvey,  and  Mr. 
Ca'lam,  master's  mate.  Monday  night  our  situation  was 
truly  horrid,  the  old  men  and  boys  dying  through  hunger 
and  fatigue,  with  Mr.  Proby,  rfnd  Mr.  Hayes,  midship- 
men. Captain  Dixon  remained  all  this  night  upon  the 
bowsprit. 

Tuesday  morning;  presented  us  no  boiler  prospect  of 
being  relieved  from  the  jaws  of  death  ;  the  wind  blowing 
stronger,  and  the  sea  much  more 'turbulent.  Ahoin 
noon  this  day  our  drooping  spirits  werfe ;  somewijr.t  re-1 
lieved  by  seeing  Lieut.  Harvey  and  Mr.  C&IIain,  hoisting 
out  a  boat  from  one  of  the  merchant  ships,  to  come  to 
the  assistance  cf  their  distressed  shipmates.  '  They 
several  times  attempted  to  launch  her  through  the  surf, 
but  being  a  very  heavy  boat,  and  the  sea  on  the  beach 
acting  so  powerfully  against  them,  that  they  could  not 
possibly  effect  it,  though  assisted  by  nearly  one  humlrei} 
men,  of  the  merchant  sailors,  and  of  the  Portuguese 
peasants.  Several  men  went  upon  rafts  this  day,  made 
from  pieces  of  the  wreck,  but  not  one  soul  reached  the 
shore  ;  the  wind  having  shifted,  and  the  current  setting 
out,  they  were  al!  driven  to  sea,  among  wThom  was  our 
Captain,  who,  about  three  in  the  afternoon,  went  on  the 
jib  boom  with  three  seamen  ;  anxious  to  save  the  re- 
mainder of  the  ship's  company,  and  too  sanguine  of 
getting  safe  on  shore,  he  ventured  upon  the  spar,  saying, 
on  jumping  into  the  sea,  "  My  lads,  I'll  save  you  all/' 
In  a  few  seconds  he  lost  his  hold  of  the  spar,  which  he 
could  not  regain  ;  he  drifted  to  sea,  and  perished.  Such 
was  also  the  fate  of  the  three  brave  volunteers  who  chose 
his  fortune. 

The  loss  of  our  Captain,  who,  until  now,  had  animat- 
ed the  almost  lifeless  cre\v,  as  well  as  the  noble  exertions 
of  Lieut.  Karvey  and  Mr.  Callam  to  launch  the  boa;, 
not  succeeding,  every  gleam  of  hope  vanished,  ?nd  wr 
looked  forward  for  certain  death  the  ensuing  night,  not 
only  from  cold,  hunger,  and  fatigue,  but  the  expectation 
of  the  remaining  part  of  tee  vrreck  going  to  pieces  err1; 


208  LOSS    OF    THE    APOLLO    FRIGATE. 

moment.  Had  not  the  Apollo  been  a  new  and  well- 
built  ship,  that  small  portion  of  her  could  not  have  so 
long  resisted  the  waves,  and  stuck  so  well  together,  par- 
ticularly as  the  after  part  from  the  chess-trees  was  gone, 
the  starboard  bow  under  water,  the  easlle-deck  nearly 
perpendicular,  the  weight  of  the  guns  hanging  to  the 
larboard  bulwark,  on  the  inside,  and  ihe  bower  and  spare 
anchors  on  the  outside,  which  it  was  not  prudent  k>  cut 
away,  as  they  afforded  resting-places  to  a  considerable 
number  of  men,  there  being  only  the  fore  channels,  and 
cathead,  where  it  was  possible  to  live  in,  and  about 
which  were  stowed  upwards  of  one  hundred  and  fifty 
men ;  it  being  impracticable  to  continue  any  longer  in 
the  head,  or  upon  the  bowsprit,  by  reason  of  the  break- 
ers washing  completely  over  those  places.  The  night 
drawing  on,  the  wind  increasing  with  frequent  showers 
of  rain,  the  sea  washing  over  us,  and  looking  every  in- 
stant for  the  fore-castle  giving  way,  when  we  must  all 
have  perished  together,  afforded  a  spectacle. truly  deplo- 
rable ;  the  bare  recollection  of  which,  even  now,  makes 
me  shudder.  The  piercing  cries  of  the  people  this  dis- 
mal night,  at  every  sea  coming  over  them,  which  hap- 
pened every  two  minutes,  were  pitiful  in  the  extreme ; 
the  water  running  from  the  head  down  all  over  the  body, 
keeping  us  continually  wet.  This  shocking  night,  the 
remaining  strength  of  every  person  was  exerted  for  his 
individual  safety.  From  the  crowding  so  closely  to- 
gether, in  such  a  narrow  compass,  and  the  want  of 
something  to  moisten  our  mouths,  several  poor  wretches 
were  suffocated  ;  which  frequently  reminded  me  of  the 
Black  Hole,  with  this  difference  only,  that  those  poor 
sufferers  were  confined  by  strong  walls,  we  by  water ; 
the  least  movement,  without  clinging  fast,  would  have 
launched  us  into  eternity.  Some  of  the  unfortunate 
crew  drank  salt  water ;  several  their  own  urine  ;  some 
chewed  leather ;  myself  and  many  more  chewed  lead  ; 
from  which  we  conceived  we  found  considerable  relief, 
by  reason  of  its  drawing  the  saliva,  which  we  swallow- 
ed. In  less  than  an  hour  after  the  ship  struck  the  ground, 
all  the  provisions  were  under  water,  and  the  ship  a  wreck, 
so  that  it  was  impossible  to  pro9ure  any  part.  After  Mu 


LOSS    OF   THE    APCflLLO   FRIGATE,  £6*J 

most  painful  night  that  is  possible  to  conceive,  on  day- 
light appearing,  we  observed  Lieut.  Harvey  and  Mr. 
Callam,  again  endeavoring  to  launch  the  boat.  Several 
attempts  were  made  without  success,  a  number  of  men 
belonging  to  the  merchant  ships  being  much  bruised  and 
hurt  in  assisting ;  aiternate  hopes  and  fears  now  pervaded 
our  wretched  minds;  15  men  got  safe  on  shore  this 
morning  on  pieces  of  the  wreck.  About  three  in  the 
afternoon  of  Wednesday  the  4th,  we  had  the  inexpressi- 
ble happiness  of  seeing  the  boat  launched  throiu  r- 
surf,  by  the  indefatigable  exertions  of  the  brave  otrK 
assisted  by  the  masters  of  the  merchant  ships,  with  a 
number  of  Portuguese  Peasants,  who  were  encouraged 
by  Mr.  Whitney,  the  British  Consul,  from  Figuera.  All 
the  crew  then  remaining  on  the  wreck,  were  brought  safe 
on  shore,  praising  God  for  a  happy  deliverance  from  a 
shipwreck  which  has  scarcely  ever  had  its  parallel.  As 
soon  as  I  stept  out  of  the  boat,  I  found  several  persons 
whose  humanity  prompted  them  to  offer  me  sustenance, 
though  improperly  in  spirits,  which  I  avoided  as  much  as 
possible.  Our  weak  slate  may  be  conceived,  when  it  is 
considered  that  we  received  no  nourishment  from  Sunday 
to  Wednesday  afternoon,  and  were  continually  exposed 
to  the  fury  of  the  watery  element.  After  eating  ami 
drinking  a  little,  I  found  myself  weaker  than  before,  oc- 
casioned, 1  apprehend,  from  having  been  £O  long  with- 
out either.  Some  men  died  soon  after  getting  on  shorej 
from  imprudently  dringing  too  large  a  quantity  of  spirits. 
AH  were  in  a  very  weak  and  exhausted  state,  the  greater 
part  being  badly  bruised  and  wounded.  About  thirty 
sail  of  merchant  ships  were  wrecked  at  the  same  time  on 
this  dreadful  beach.  Some  ships  sunk  with  all  their  peo- 
ple, and  almost  every  ship  lost  from  two  to  twelve  men 
each  ;  yet  the  situation  of  the  remainder  was  not  equally 
distressing  with  that  of  the  crew  of  the  frigate ;  as  (he 
merchant  ships  drawing  a  less  draught  of  water,  had 
mostly  driven  close  on  shore,  and  no  person  remained 
on  board  them  after  the  first  morning.  The  masters  of 
the  merchant  ships  had  tents  upon  the  beach,  and  so  ire 
provisions  they  had  saved  from  the  wrecks,  which  they 
generously  distributed,  and  gave  every  assistance  to  ibc 
Y2 


270        LOSS  OF  THE  APOLLO  FRIGATE, 

Apollo's  people.  Thus  was  lost  one  of  the  finest  frigates 
in  the  British  navy,  with  sixty-one  of  her  crew.  The 
number  of  persons  lost  in  the  merchant  ships  was  also 
very  considerable.  Dead  bodies  every  day  floated 
ashore,  and  pieces  of  the  wreck  covered  the  beach  for 
ten  miles  in  extent. 

This  fatal  and  unprecedented  calamity,  is  universally 
ascribed  to  the  carelessness  and  inattention  of  the  Com- 
modore :  and  it  is  asserted,  that  had  it  been  dark  a 
quarter  of  an  hour  longer,  the  whole,  convoy  would  have 
shared  the  same  fate. 


271 


SHIPWRECK   OF   THE 


FRENCH  SHIP  DROITS  DE  L'HOMME, 

Of  74  Guns,  driven  on  Shore  tJie  13th  of  January,  1797, 
By  Elias  Pipon,  Lieutenant  of  the  63d  Regiment. 


UN  the  5th  of  January,  1797,  returning  home 
on  leave  of  absence  from  the  West-Indies,  in  the  Cum- 
berland letter  of  marque,  for  the  recovery  of  my  health, 
saw  a  large  man  of  war  off  the  coast  of  Ireland,  being 
then  within  four  leauges  of  the  mouth  of  the  river  Shan- 
non. She  hoisted  English  colors,  and  decoyed  us 
within  gun-shot,  when  she  substiuted  the  tri  colored  flag, 
and  took  us.  She  proved  to  be  les  Droits  d  L'Homme, 
of  74  guns,  commanded  by  the  ci  devant  baron,  now 
citizen  La  Crosse,  and  had  separated  from  a  fieet  of 
men  of  war,  on  board  of  which  were  twenty  thousand 
troops,  intended  to  invade  Ireland.  On  board  of  this 
ship  was  General  Humbert,  who  afterwards  effected  a 
descent  in  Ireland  (in  1799)  with  nine*  hundred  troops 
and  six  hundred  seamen.  * 

On  the  7th  of  January  went  into  Bantry  Bay  to  see 
if  any  of  the  squadron  was  still  there,  and  on  finding 
none,  the  ship  proceeded  to  the  southward.  Nothing 
extraordinary  occurred  until  the  evening  of  the  1  3tha 


*  Sir  Edward  Pellew  has  since  told  me  that  the  official 
Account  from  France,  on  which  he  has  received  head  mon- 
ey, amounted  to  one  thousand  seven  hundred  and  J\fti\ 
souls  at  the  time  of  the  shipwreck. 


£72  SHIPWRECK    OF   THE 

when  two  men  of  war  hove  in  sight,  which  afterwards 
proved  to  be  the  Indefatigable  and  Amazon  frigates.  It 
is  rather  remarkable  that  the  captain  of  the  ship  should 
inform  me,  that  the  squadron  which  was  going  to  engage 
him  was  Sir  Edward  Pellew's,  and  declared,  as  was 
afterwards  proved  by  the  issue,  that  "  he  would  not  yield 
to  any  two  English  frigates,  but  would  sooner  sink  his 
ship  with  every  soul  on  board."  The  ship  was  then 
cleared  for  action,  and  we  English  prisoners,  consisting 
of  three  infantry  officers,  two  captains  of  merchantmen, 
two  women,  and  forty-eight  seamen  and  soldiers,  were 
conducted  down  to  the  cable  tier  at  the  foot  of  the 
fore- mast. 

The  action  began  with  opening  the  lower  deck  ports, 
which,  however,  were  soon  shut  again,  on  account  of  the 
great  sea,  which  occasioned  the  water  to  rush  in  to  that 
degree  that  we  felt  it  running  on  the  cables.  I  must 
here  observe,  that  the  ship  was  built  on  a  new  construc- 
tion, considerably  longer  than  men  of  war  of  her  rate, 
and  her  lower  deck,  on  which  she  mounted  thirty  two 
pounders  French,  equal  to  forty  pounders  English,  was 
two  feet  and  a  half  Jower  than  usual.  The  situation  of 
the  ship,  before  she  struck  on  the  rocks,  has  been  fully 
elucidated  by  Sir  Edward  Pellevv,  in  his  letter  of  the  17tb 
of  January  to  Mr.  Nepean  :*  the  awful  task  is  left  for 
me  to  relate  what  ensued. 


*  To  render  this  narrative  still  more  complete  the  letter 
of  Sir  Edward  Pellew  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Admiralty 
is  subjoined  :-^~ 

"  /  have  the  honor  to  make  known  to  you,  for  the  in- 
formation of  the  Lords  Commissioners  of  the  Admiralty^ 
tluit  on  Friday  last ,  the  I Sih  instant,  at  lialf  past  noon, 
in  latitude  47  deg.  30  min.  W.  Ushant  bearing  JV.  E.  50 
leagues,  we  discovered  a  large  ship  in  the  JV.  W.  quarter , 
steering  under  easy  sail  for  France.  The  wind  was  then 
at  west,  blowing  hard,  with  thick  hazy  weather.  I  instant- 
ly  made  the  signal  to  the  Amazon  for  a  general  chase, 
and  followed  it  by  the  signal  that  the  chase  was  an  enemy. 
Jtt  four  P.  M.  the  tndejatigabfe  had  gained  sufficiently  on 


DROITS  DE  L'HOMME.  278 

At  about  four  ia  the  morning  a  dreadful  convulsion,  at 
the  foot  of  the  foremast,  roused  us  from  a  stare  of  anx- 
iety for  our  fate  to  the  idea  that  the  ship  Was  sinking  ! 
It  was  the  fore-mast  that  fell  over  the  side  ;  in  about  a 
quarter  of  an  hour  an  awful  mandate  from  above  was 
re-echoed  from  all  parts  of  the  ship  :  Pauvres  Anglais  ! 
pauvres  Anglais !  Montez  bien  rite  nous  somme  tons 
perdus ! — "  Poor  English  men  !  poor  Englishmen  !  come 
on  deck  as  fast  as  you  can,  we  are  all  lost !"  Every  one 
rather  flew  than  climbed.  Though  scarcely  able  to 
move  before,  from  sickness,  yet  I  now  felt  an  energetic 
strength  in  all  my  frame,  and  soon  gained  the  upper 


the  chase  for  me  to  distinguish  very  dearly  that  she  hs:d 
two  tier  of  guns,  with  the  ioncr-deck  ports  shut,  and  that 
she  had  no  poop. 

"  M  fifteen  minutes  bcf.re  .s.\r  ne  brought  the  enemy 
to  close  action,  which  continued  to  be  weR  supported,  on 
both  sides,  near  an  hour,  when  we  unavoidably  shot 
ediead ;  at  this  moment  the  Amazon  appeared  asttrn.  and 
gallantly  supplied  our  place  ;  but  the  eagerness  of  Cap- 
tain Reynolds,  to  second  his  friend,  had  brought  hih; 
dcr  a  pre^s  of  sail,  ami  after  a  ndt  supported  and  close 
Jire  Jor  a  I  it  lie  time,  he  aho  unavoidably  shot  ahead. 
T7v£  enemy,  who  had  nearly  effected  nmtiit.'v'me  on  board, 
appeared  to  he  much  larger  than  the  Indefatigable,  and 
Jfom  her  heavy  Jire  of  musquetry,  I  believe  icas  full  of 
,nf.n.  This  Jire  was  continued  untill  the  end  of  the  ac- 
tion, with  great  vivacity,  although  she  frequently  defend- 
ed both  sides  of  the  ship  at  the  same  time. 

"  As  soon  .as  ire  had  replaced  some  necessary  rigging, 
and  the  Amazon  had  reduced  her  sail,  tie  commenced  a 
second  attack  placing  ourselves  afler  some  raking  broad- 
sides upon  each  quarter ;  and  this  attack,  often  nithin 
pistol  shot,  was,  by  both  ships,  unremittcd  for  about  Jive 
hours ;  ne  then  sheered  off'  to  secure  our  masts.  It 
nould  be  needless  to  relate  to  their  lordships  every  ej/'ort 
that  we  made  in  an  attack  that  commenced  a  quarter  be- 
fore six  P.  M.  and  did  not  cease,  excepting  at  intervals, 
fill  half  past  Jour  A.  M.  I  bttiefe  ten  hours  of  more, 


£74  SHIPWRECK    0 

deck,  but  what  a  sight !  dead,  and  wounded,  and  living; 
intermingled  in  a  state  too  shocking  to  describe  :  not  a 
mast  standing,  a  dreadful  loom  of  the  land,  and  breakers 
all  around  us.  The  Indefatigable,  on  the  starboard  quar- 
ter, appeared  standing  off,  in  a  most  tremendous  se^ 
from  the  Penmark  Rocfcs,  which  threatened  her  with  in- 
stant destruction.  To  the  great  humanity  of  her  com- 
mander, those  few  persons  who  survived  the  shipwreck, 
are  indebted  for  their  lives,  for  had  another  broadside 
been  fired,  the  commanding  situation  of  the  Indefatiga- 
ble must  have  swept  off  at  least  a  thousand  men.— • 
On  the  starbourd  side  was  seen  the  Amazon,  wiUifa 


severe  fatigue  was  scarcely  ever  experienced ;  the  sea  was 
high  ;  the  people  on  the  main  deck  up  to  their  middles  in 
tlie  water.  Some  guns  broke  their  breechmgs  Jour  timw 
over,  some  drew  the  ring-bolts  from  the  sides,  and  many 
of  them  were  repeatedly  drawn  immediately  after  loading  $ 
alt  our  masts  ttiefe  tUuch  wounded,  the  maintop-mast 
completely  unrigged,  and  saved  wily  by  uncommon 
alacrity. 

"  M  about  twenty  minutes  past  Jour,  the  moon  opening 
rather  brighter  than  before,  tfuwed  to  Lieutenant  George. 
Bell,  who  was  watchfully  looking  out  on  the  forecastle,  a. 
glimpse  of  land  ;  he  had  scarcely  reached  me  to  repeat  it, 
when  we  saw  the  breakers.  We  were  then  close  under  the 
enemy's  starboard  bow,  and  the  Amazon  as  near  her  on 
tJie  larboard  ;  not  an  instant  could  be  lost,  and  every  life 
depended  upon  the  prompt  execution  of  my  orders  ;  and 
here  it  is,  with  heartfelt  pleasure,  I  acJtnowledge  the  full 
value  of  my  officer's  and  ship*s  company,  who,  with  itt 
credible  alacrity,  hauled  the  tacks  on  board,  and  made  sail 
to  the  southward.  The  land  could  not  be  ascertained,  but 
ne  took  it  to  he  Ushanl,  and  in  the  bay  of  Brest ;  crip- 
pled as  we  were  I  lu.id  no  particular  fears ;  but  before  day 
•ire  again  saw  breakers  on  the  lee  boni ;  tlie  ship  was  in- 
stantly wore  to  tJie  northward  •  and  being  satisfied  that 
ttie  land  we  had  before  seen  was  not  UshanL  the  lingering 
approach  of  day-light  was  most  anxiously  looked  for  by 
all,  and  soon  after  it  opened,  seeing  the  lard  very  clow. 


DROITS    DE    l/HOXME,  275 

£wo  miles,  just  struck  on  shore. — Our  own  fate  drew 
near.  The  ship  struck  and  immediately  sunk  !  Shrieks 
of  borror  and  dismay  were  heard  from  ail  quarters, 
while  the  merciless  waves  tore  from  the  wreck  many- 
early  victims.  Day-light  appeared,  and  we  beheld  the 
shore  lined  with  people,  who  could  render  us  no  assis- 
tance. At  low  water,  rafts  were  constructed,  and  the 
boats  were  got  in  readiness  to  be  hoisted  out.  The  dusk 
arrived,  and  an  awful  night  ensued.  The  dawn  of  the 
day  brought  with  it  still  severer  miseries  than  the  first, 
for  wants  of  nature  could  scarcely  be  endured  any  lon- 
ger, having  been  already  near  thirty  hours  without  any 
means  of  subsistence,  and  no  possibility  of  procuring 
them.  At  low  water  a  small  boat  was  hoisted  out,  and 
an  English  captain  and  eight  sailors  succeeded  in  getting 
to  the  shore.  Elated  at  the  success  of  these  men  all 
thought  their  deliverance  at  hand,  and  many  launched 
out  on  their  rafts,  but,  alas !  death  soon  ended  their 
hopes. 


ahead,  rue  again  wore  to  the  southward  in  twenty  fathoms 
water  i  and  afr/v  minutes  after  discovered  the  enemy,  who 
had  so  bravely  defended  herself,  lying  on  her  broadside^ 
and  a  tremendous  surf  beating  over  her.  Tiie  miserable 
fate  of  tier  brave,  but  unliappy  crew,  was,  perhaps,  the 
more  .sincerely  lamented  by  its,  from  the* apprehension  of 
suffering  a  similar  misfortune.  We  passed  her  within  a 
mile,  in  a  very  bad  condition,  having  at  that  time  four 
feet  water  in  the  hold,  a  great  sea,  and  the  nind  dead  on 
the  shore,  hat  we  held  ascertained,  beyond  a  doubt,  our 
situation  to  the  Hodlerne  Bay,  and  that  our  fate,  depended 
upon  the  possible  chance  of  weathering  the  Penmark 
Rocks.  Exhausted  «?  we  were  with  fatigue  every  exertion 
was  made,  'and  every  inch  of  canvas  set  that  could  be  car- 
ried, and  at  eleven  A.  .If.  we  made  the  breakers,  and,  by 
the  blessing  of  God,  weathered  the  Penmirk  Rocks  aboul 
half  a  mile.  The  Amazon  had  hauled  her  wind  to  the 
northward  when  we  stood  to  the  sQH/hward  ;  her  condition, 
I  think,  was  better  than  ours,  and  I  knew  that  her  acfhi- 
ty  and  exertions  were  fully  equal  to  any  that  could  be  un~ 


276  SHIPWRECK    OF   THE 

Another  night  renewed  our  afflictions.  The  morning 
of  the  third,  .fraught  with  still  greater  evils,  appeared; 
our  continued  sufferings  made  us  exert  the  last  effort, 
and  we,  English  prisoners,  tried  every  means  to  save 
as  many  of  our  fellow-creatures  as  lay  in  our  power. 
Larger  rafts  were  constructed,  and  the  largest  boat  was 
got  over  the  side.  The  first  consideration  was  to  lay 
the  surviving  wounded,  the  women,  and  helpless  men 
in  the  boat,  but  the  idea  of  equality,  so  fatally  pormul- 
gated  among  the  French,  destroyed  all  subordination, 
and  nearly  one  hundred  and  twenty  having  jumped  into 
the  boat,  in  defiance  of  their  officers,  they  sunk  ber. 
The  most  dreadful  sea  that  I  ever  saw,  seemed  at  that 
fatal  moment  to  aggravate  the  calamity ;  nothing  of 
the  boat  was  seen  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  when  the 
bodies  floated  in  all  directions  :  then  appeared,  in  aH 
their  horrors,  the  wreck,  the  shores,  the  dying,  and  the 
drowned  !  Indefatigable  in  acts  of  humaninty,  an  ad- 
jutant general,  Renier,  launched  himself  into  the  sea,  to 
obtain  succours  from  the  shore,  and  perished  in  the 
attempt. 

der  similar  circumstances.     The  judgment  with  which  she 
was  managed  during  such  a  long  action,  and  the  gallant- 
ry ofjier  attacks,  coula  not  but  merit  the  highest  commen- 
dation, and   to    the  heart  of  a  friend  it   was  peculiarly 
gratifying.     I  have  full  as  much  reason  to  speak  highly 
of  my  own  officers  and  men,  to  whom  I  owe  infinite  obli- 
gations.    The  lieutenants  Thompson,  Norway,  and  Bell ; 
lieutenants    O' Conner  and  Oihon,  cf  the  marine ;  and 
Mr.  Thompson,  the  master,  have  abundant  claims  on  .my 
gratitude,  as  well  as  every  inferior  officer  in  the  ship.     The 
sufferings  of  the  Amazon  are  unknown  to  me  ;  and  I  am 
singularly  Jiappy  to  say,  that  my  own  are  incomidrrahfa. 
Tfie  first  lieutenant,  Mr.   Thompson,  a  brave   and 
thy   officer,  is  the   only  one  of  that  description  ivoi^ 
with  eighteen  men,  twelve  of  which  number  //;-< 
cf  no  serious  consequence,    consisting  chiejfy  ofii 
contusions  from  splinters.  I  am.,  L 

( Signed)         ED? 


»RC1TS    DE 

Nearly  one  half  of  the  people  had  already  perished, 
when  the  horrors  of  the  fourth  night  renewed  all  our 
miseries.  Weak,  distracted,  and  destitute  of  every 
thing,  we  envied  the  fate  of  those  whose  lifeless  corpses 
BO  longer  wanted  sustenance.  The  sense  of  hunger  v/as 
already  lost,  but  a  parching  thirst  consumed  our  vitals. 
Recourse  was  had  to  urine  and  salt  water,  which  only 
increased  our  want;  half  a  hogshead  of  vinegar  indeed 
Soated  up,  of  which  each  had  half  a  wine  glass  ;  it 
afforded  a  momentary  relief,  yet  soon  left  us  again  in  the 
same  state  of  dreadful  thirst.  Almost  at  the  last  gasp, 
every  one  was  dying  wilh  misery,  and  the  ship,  now 
one  third  shattered  away  from  the  stern,  scarcely  afford- 
ed a  grasp  to  hold  by,  to  the  exhausted  and  helpless  sur- 
vivors. 

The  fourth  day  brought  with  it  a  more  serene  sky,  and 
the  sea  seemed  to  subside,  but  to  behold,  from  lore  to 
aft,  the  dying  in  all  directions,  was  a  sight  too  shocking 
for  the  fee-Hog  mind  to  endure.  Almost  lost  to  a  sense 
of  humanity,  we  no  longer  looked  with  pity  on  those 
whom  we  considered  only  as  the  forerunners  of  our  own 
speedy  fate,  and  a  consultation  took  place,  to  sacrifice 
some  one  to  he  focd  for  the  remainder.  The  die  was 
going  to  be  cast,  when  the  welcome  sight  of  a  man  of 
war  brig;  renewed  our  hopes.  A  cutter  speedily  followed, 
find  both  anchored  at  a  short  distance  from  the  wreck. 
They  then  sent  their  boats  to  us,  and  by  ineajis  of  large 
rafis,  about  one  hundred,  out  of  four  hundred,  who  at- 
tempted it,  were  saved  by  the  brig  that  evening.  Three 
hundred  and  eighty  were  left  to  endure  another  r/i gift's 
misery,  when,  dreadful  to  relate,  above  cr-e  half  were 
found  dead  the  next  morning! 

I  was  saved  about  ten  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the 
•  18th,  with  my  two  brother  officers,  the  ('  !'  the 

ship,  and  General  Humbert.     They  treated  us  wiih  gicat 
humanity  on  bond  the  cutter,  giving   us  a  ii-tle  weak 
brandy  and  water  every  five  or  six  minutes,  and    & 
that  a  bason   of  good   soup.     I   fell  on  the  locker  iu  a 
kind  of  trance  for  near  thirty  hours,  ?.nd  swelled  to 
a  degree  as  to  require  medical  aid  to  resfoiY;  i.v,  dtvi-*.  ed 
faculties.     Having  lost  all  our  IKISOTSP.  we  were  taken  to 

Z 


278  SHIPWRECK    OF,   &C. 

Brest  almost  naked,  where  they  gave  us  a  rough  shift  of 
clothes,  and  in  consequence  of  our  sufferings,  and  the 
help  we  afforded  in  saving  many  lives,  a  cartel  was  fitted 
out  hy  order  of  the  French  government  to  send  us  home, 
without  ransom  or  exchange.  We  arrived  at  Plymouth 
on  the  7th  of  March  following. 

To  that  Providence,  whose  great  workings  I  have 
experienced  in  this  most  awful  trial  of  human  afflictions, 
be  ever  offered  the  tribute  of  my  praise  and  thanks- 
giving. 


273 


THE    LOSS    OB1 


HIS  MAJESTY'S  SHIP  PHOENIX, 

Off  the  Island  of  Cuba,  in  the  Year  1780. 
By  Lieutenant  Archer. 


JL  HE  Phoenix,  of  44  guns,  Captain  Sir  Hyde 
Parker,  was  lost  in  a  hurricane,  off  Cuba,  in  the  year 
1780.  The  same  hurricane  destroyed  the  Thunderer, 
74, ;  Stirling  Castle,  64  ;  La  Blanche,  42 ;  Laurel,  2ft  ; 
Andromeda,  28 ;  Deal  Castle,  24  ;  Scarborough,  20 ; 
Beaver's  Prize,  16;  Barbadoes,  14;  Cameleon,  14; 
Endeavour,  14;  and  Victor  10  guns.  Lieutenant  Ar- 
cher was  first  lieutenant  of  the  Phoenix  at  the  time  she 
was  lost.  His  narrative  in  a  letter  to  his  mother,  con- 
tains a  most  correct  and  animated  account  of  one  of  the 
most  awful  events  in  the  service.  It  is  so  simple  and 
natural  as  to  make  the  reader  feel  himself  on  board  the 
Phoenix.  Every  circumstance  is  detailed  with  feeling1, 
and  powerful  appeals  are  continually  made  to  the 
heart.  Jt  must  likewise  afford  considerable  pleasure  to 
dbserve  the  devout  spirit  of  a  seaman  frequently  burst- 
ing forth,  and  imparting  sublimity  to  the  relation. 

Al  Sea,  June  30,  1780. 
MY  DEAREST  MADAM, 

I  am  now  going  to  give  you  an  account  of  our  last 
Cruise  in  the  Phoenix  ;  and  must  premise,  (hat  should 
any  one  see  it  besides  yourself,  they  must  put  this  con- 
struction oil  it — that  it  was  originally  intended  for  the 


£30  LOSS    OF   THE 

eyes  of  a  mother,  and  a  mother  only — as,  Dpon  ffaai 
supposition,  my  feelings  may  be  tolerated.  You  will 
also  meet  with  a  number  of  sea  terms,  which,  if 
you  clcVt  understand,  why,  I  cannot  help  you,  as 
I  am  unable  to  give  a  sea  description  in  any  otker 
words. 

To  begin  then; — On  the  2d.  of  August,  1780,  we 
weighed  and  sailed  for  Port  Royal,  bound  for  Pensacola,, 
having  two  store-ships  under  convoy,  and  to  see  safe 
in  ;  then  cruise  of?  the  Havsnnah,  and  in  the  coif  of 
Mexico,  for  six  weeks.  In  a  few  days  we  made  the 
two  sandy  islands,  that  look  as  if  they  had  just  risen  out 
of  the  sea,  or  fallen  from  the  sky ;  inhabited  neverthe- 
less-*, b}'  upwards  of  300  English,  who  get  their  bread 
by  catching  turtles  and  parrots,  and  raising  vegetables, 
which  they  exchange  with  ships  that  pass,  for  clothing 
and  a  few  of  the  luxuries  of  life,  r-s  rum,  &.c. 

About  the  12th  we  arrived  at  Pensacola,  without  any 
thing  remarkable  happening,  except  our  catching  <i  vast 
quantity  of  fish,  sharks,  dolphins,  and  bonettos.  Oh 
the  13th  sailed  singly,  and  on  the  14th  had  a  very  heavy 
gale  of  wind  at  north,  right  off  the  land,  so  that  we  soon 
left  the  sweet  place,  Pensacola,  a  distance  astern.  We 
then  looked  into  the  Havanmih,  saw  a  number  of  ships 
there,  and  knowing  that,  some  of  them  were  bound 
round  the  bay,  we  cruised  in  the  track  :  a  fortnight, 
however,  passed,  and  not  a  single  ship  hove  in  sight  to 
cheer  our 'spirits.  We  then  took  a  turn  or  two  round 
the  gulf,  but  not  near  enough  to  be  seen  from  the  shore. 
Yera  Cruz  we  expected  would  have  made  us  happy, 
but  the  same  luck  still  continued  ;  day  followed  day, 
a;ul  no  sail.  The  dollar  bag  began  to  grow  a  little  bulky, 
Tor  every  one  had  lost  two  or  three  times,  and  no  cue 
had  won  :  (this  was  a  small  gambling  party  entered 
Into  by  Sir  Hvde  aad  ourselves  ;  every  one  put  a  dollar 
into  a  bag,  and  fixed  on  a  day  when  we  should  see 
a  sail,  but  no  two  persons  were  to  name  the  same 
«.!ay,  and  whoever  guessed  right  first  was  to  have 
the  bag.y 

Being  now  tired  of  our  situation,  and  glad  the  cruise 
tf  as  almost  out  for  we  found  the  navigation  very  IBB- 


LOSS    OF    THE    PIKBN1X.  28'1 

gerous,  owing  t>>  unaccountable  currents  ;  so  shaped 
our  course  tor  Cape  Antonio.  The  next  da}  t!  e  man 
at  the  mast  head,  at  about  one  o'clock  in"  the  afternoon, 
called  out  :  "  A  s;iil  upon  the  weather  bow  !  Ha  !  Ha ! 
Mr.  Spaniard,  I  think  we  have  you  at  last.  Turn  ou£ 
all  hands!  make  sail!  All  hands  give  chace  !"  There 
was  scarcely  any  occasion  for  this  order,  for  the  sound 
of  a  sail  being  in  sight  flew  like  wildfire  through  the  ship, 
and  every  sail  was  set  in  an  instant,  almost  before  the*- 
orders  were  given.  A  lieutenant  at  the  mast  head. 
with  a  spy  glass,  "  What  is  she  ?"  "  A  large  ship  stud- 
ding athwart  rigiit  before  the  wind.  P-o-r-t  !  Keep  her 
away  !  set  the  studding  sails  ready  !"  Up  comes  the 
little  doctor,  rubbing  his  hands  ;  "  Ha !  Ha !  I  have 
won  the  bag."  "  The  devil  lake  you  and  the  bag  ;  look, 
what's  ahead  will  fill  all  our  bags."  MasMiead  again  : 
"-  Two  more  sail  on  the  larboard  beam  !"  "  Archer,  go 
up  and  see  what  you  can  make  of  them."  "  Upon  deck, 
there ;  I  see  a  whole  fleet  of  twenty  sail  corning  right 
before  the  wind."  "  Confound  the  luck  of  it,  this  is 
some  convoy  or  other,  but  we  must  try  if  we  can  pick 
some  of  them  out."  "  Haul  down  the  studding  sails  ! 
Luff !  bring  her  to  the  wind  !  Let  us  see  what  we  can 
spake  of  them.'1* 

Aboyt  five  we  got  pretty  near  them,  and  found  them 
to  be  twenty -six  sail  of  Spanish  merchantmen,  under 
qonvoy  of  three  Hne  of  Battle  ships,  one  of  which 
chased  us ;  but  when  she  found  we  were  playing  with 
her  (for  the  old  Phrenix  had  heels)  she  left  chase,  and 
j  >ined  the  convoy  ;  which  ihey  drew  up  into  a  Jurojv 
and  placed  themselves  at  the  outside;  but  we  still  kept 
smelling  about  till  after  dark.  O,  for  the  Hector,  the 
Albion,  and  a  Frigate,  and  we  should  take  the  whole 
fleet  and  convoy,  worth  some  millions  !  About  eicht 
o'clock  perceived  three  sail  at  some  distance  from  the 
fleet  ;  dashed  in  between  them  and  gave  chace,  and 
were  happy  to  find  they  steered  from  the  fleet.  About 
twelve  came  up  with  a  large  ship  of  twenty-six  guns, 
"  Archer,  every  man  to  his  quarters  !  run  the  lower- deck 
guns  out,  and  light  the  ship  up  :  shew  this  fellow  our 
forcp  ;  it  may  prevent  his  firing  into  us  and  killing  a  man 


282  LOSS    OF    THE    PIKE  NIX. 

or  tW3,"  No  sooner  said  than  done.  "  Hoa,  (he  ship 
ahoy  !  lower  your  sails,  and  bring  to  instantly,  or  PU 
feink  you."  Clatter,  clatter,  went  the  blocks,  and  away 
flew  all  their  sails  in  proper  confusion.  "  What  ship  is 
ihiti  1"  «  The  Polly."  "  Whence  came  you  ?"  "  From 
Jamaica."  "  Where  are  you  bound  ?"  "  To  New- 
York."  "  What  ship  is  that  ?»  "  The  Phoenix."  Huzza, 
three  times  by  the  whole  ship's  company.  An  oldgrwn. 
fellow  of  a  sailor  standing  oiose  by  me  :  "  O,  d — n  your 
three  cheers,  we  took  you  to  be  something  else."  Up- 
on examination  we  found  it  to  be  as  he  reported,  and 
that  they  had  fallen  in  with  the  Spanish  fleet  that  morn- 
ing, and  were  chased  the  whole  day,  and  that  nothing 
saved  them  but  our  stepping  in  between  ;  for  the  Span- 
iards took  us  for  three  consorts,  and  the  Polly  took  the 
Phoenix  for  a  Spanish  frigate,  till  we  hailed  them.  The 
other  vessels  in  company  was  likewise  bound  to  New- 
York.  Thus  was  I,  from  being  worth  thousands  in  idea? 
reduced  to  the  old  4s.  6d.  per  day  again  ;  for  the  little 
doctor  made  1he  most  prize  money  of  us  all  that  day, 
by  winning  the  bag,  which  contained  between  30  and  40 
dollars  ;  but  this  is  nothing  to  what  we  sailors  sometimes 
undergo. 

After  parting  company,  we  steered  S.  S.  E.  to  go  round 
Antonio,  and  so  to  Jamaica  (our  cruise  being  out,)  with 
our  fingers  in  our  mouths,  and  all  of  us  as  green  as  you 
please.  It  happened  to  be  my  middle  watch,  and  about 
three  o'clock,  when  the  man  upon  the  forecastle  bawls 
out,  "  Breakers  ahead,  and  land  upon  the  lee  bow ;"  I 
looked  out,  and  it  was  so,  sure  enough.  "Ready  about  f 
put  the  helm  down !  Helm  a  lee !"  Sir  Hyde  hearing 
me  put  the  ship  about,  jumped  upon  deck.  "  Archer, 
what's  the  matter  ?  you  are  putting  the  ship  about  with- 
out my  orders  !"  Sir,  'tis  time  to  go  about  ;  the  ship 
is  almost  ashore,  there  is  the  land.  "  Good  God,  so  if  is  f 
Will  the  ship  stay  ?"  Yes,  Sir,  I  believe  she  will,  if  we 
don't  make  any  confusion ;  she  is  all  aback — forward 
new  ?  "  Well,  (says  he,)  work  the  ship,  I  will  not 
Hpeak  a  single  word."  The  ship  stayed  very  well. 
Then  heave  the  lead  !  see  what  water  we  have  ! 
«  Three  fathom."  Keep  the  ship  away,  W.N.W.— 


LOSS    OF    TIIE    FHCENIX? 

«  By  the  mark  three."  "  This  won't  do,  Archer."  No, 
sir,  we  had  better  haul  more  to  the  northward  ;  we  carne 
S.  S.  E.  and  had  better  steer  N.  N.  W.  "  Steady,  and 
a  quarter  three."  This  may  do,  as  we  deepen  a  little. 
44  By  the  deep  four."  Very  well,  my  lad,  heave  quick. 
"  Five  fathom. :>  That's  a  fine  fellow  !  another  cai-t 
nimbly.  "  Quarter  less  eight."  That  will  do,  come,  we 
shall  get  clear  by  and  bye.  "  Mark  under  water  five.5* 
What's  that?  "*Oniy  five  fathom,  sir."  Turn  all  hand* 
up,  bring  the  ship  to  an  anchor,  boy  !  Are  the  anchors 
clear  ?  "  In  a  moment,  sir. — All  clear."  What  water 
have  you  in  the  chains  now  ?  "  Eight,  half  nine."  Keep 
fast  the  anchors  till  I  call  you.  "  Aye,  aye,  sir,  ail  fast." 
**  I  have  no  ground  with  this  line."  How  many  fathoms 
have  you  out  ?  pass  a  long  the  deep  sea-line  !  "  Aye, 
aye,  sir."  Heave  away,  watch  !  watch  !  bear  away, 
veer  away.  "  No  gound,  sir,  with  a  hundred  fathom." 
That's  clever,  come,  Madame  Phoenix,  there  is  another 
squeak  in  you  yet — all  dowrn  but  the  watch  ;  secure  tho 
anchors  again  ;  heave  the  maintop  sail  to  the  mast ;  luff, 
and  bring  her  to  the  wind  ! 

1  told  you,  Madam,  yeu  should  have  a  little  sea-jar- 
gon :  if  you  can  understand  half  of  wliat  is  already  saidj 
I  wonder  at  it,  though  it  is  nothing  to  what  is  to  come 
yet,  \vhentheold  hurricane  begins.  As  soon  as  the  ship 
a  little  to  rights,  and  all  quiet  again,  Sir  Hyde  came 
to  ine  in  the  most  friendly  wanner,  the  tears  almost 
starting  from  his  eyes — "  Archer,  we  ought  all  to  be 
sp.uch  obliged  to  you  for  the  safety  of  the  ship,  and  per- 
haps of  ourselves.  I  am  particularly  so  ;  nolhing  but 
that  instantaneous  presence  of  mind  and  calmness  saved 
her  ;  another  ship's  length  and  we  should  have  been 
fast  on  shore ;  had  you  been  the  least  diffident,  or  made 
the  least  confusion,  so  as  to  make  the  ship  baulk  in  her 
stays,  she  must  have  been  inevitably  lost."  Sir,  you 
are  very  good,  but  I  have  done  nothing  that  I  suppose 
any  body  else  would  not  have  done,  in  the  same  situa- 
tion. I  did  not  turn  all  the  hands  up,  knowing  the  watch 
able  to  work  the  ship  ;  besides  had  it  spread  immediately 
about  the  ship,  that  she  was  almost  ashore,  it  might  have 
created  a  confusion  that  was  better  avoided.  "  Well," 
says  he,  "  'tis  well  uuleed." 


LOSS    OF   THE    FHCE^IX. 

At  day  light  we  found  that  the  current  had  set  us  be- 
tween the  Colladora  rocks  and  Cape  Antonio,  and  that 
we  could  not  have  got  out  any  other  way  than  we  did ; 
there  was  a  chance,  but  Providence  is  the  best  pilot. 
We  had  sun  set  that  day  twenty  leagues  to  the  S.  E.  of 
our  reckoning  by  the  current. 

After  getting  clear  of  this  scrape,  we  thought  ourselves 
fortunate,  and  made  sail  for  Jamaica,  but  misfortune 
seemed  to  follow  misfortune.  The  next  night,  mf 
watch  upon  deck  too,  we  were  overtaken  by  a  squall, 
like  a  hurricane  while  it  lasted  ;  for  though  I  saw  it  com- 
ing, and  prepared  for  it,  yet,  when  it  took  the  ship,  it 
roared,  and  laid  her  down  so,  that  I  thought  she  would 
never  get  up  again,  However,  by  keeping  her  away, 
and  dueing  up  every  thing,  she  righted.  The  rernain- 
fler  of  the  night  we  had  very  heavy  squalls,  and  in  the 
morning  found  the  main-mast  sprung  half,  the  way 
through  :  123  leagues  to  the  leeward  of  Jamaica,  the 
hurricane  months  coming  on,  the  head  of  the  main-mast 
almost  off,  and  at  a  short  allowance ;  well,  we  must 
make  the  best  of  it.  The  main-mast  was  well  fished, 
but  we  were  obliged  to  be  very  tender  of  carrying  the 
sail. 

Nothing  remarkable  happened  for  tent  days,  afterwards, 
when  we  chased  a  Yankee  Man  of  War  for  six  hours, 
ijuf  could  not  get  near  enough  to  her  before  it  was  dark, 
to  keep  sight  of  her ;  so  that  we  lost  her  because  unable 
to  carry  any  sail  on  the  main  mast.  In  about  twelve 
days  more  niade  the  island  of  Jamaica,  haying  weather- 
ed alUhe  squalls,  and  put  into  Monte,  go  Bay  for  water; 
go  that  we  had,  a  strong  party  for  kicking  up  a  dust  on 
shore,  having  found  three  men  of  war  lying  there. 
Dancing,  &c.  &c.  till  two  o'clock  every  morning  ;  little, 
thinking  what  was  to  happen  in  four  day's  time  :  for  out 
of  the  four  ;nen  of  war  that  were  there,  not  one  was  in 
being  at  the  end  of  that  time,  an  4  not  a  soul  alive  but 
those  left  of  our  crew.  Many  of  the  hoases  where  we 
had  been  so  merry,  were  so  completely  destroyed,  that 
scarcely  a  vestige  remained  to  mark  where  they  stood. 
Thy  works  are  wonderful,  0  God!  praised  be  thy  holy. 


OF   THE    MKESIX.  2&$ 

September  the  30th,  weighed  ;  bound  for  Port  Royal, 
round  the  eastward  of  the  island  ;  the  Barbadoes  and 
Victor  had  sailed  the  day  before,  and  the  Scarborough 
was  to  sail  the  next.  Moderate  weather  until  October 
the  2d.  Spoke  to  the  Barbadoes  off  Port  Antonio  in  the 
Evening.  At  eleven  at  night  it  began  to  snuffle,  with  a 
monstrous  heavy  bill  from  the  eastward.  Close  reefed 
the  top  sails.  Sir  Hyde  sent  for  me  :  "  What  sort  of 
weather  have  we,  Archer !"  It  blows  a  little,  and  has  a 
very  ugly  look ;  if  in  any  other  quarter  but  this,  I  should 
say  we  were  going  to  have  a  gale  of  wind.  "  Aye,  it 
looks  so  very  often  here  when  there  is  no  wind  at  all  ; 
however,  don't  hoist  the  top-sails  till  it  clears  a  little, 
there  is  no  trusting  any  country."  At  twelve  I  was  re- 
lieved ;  the  weather  had  the  same  rough  look  :  however, 
they  made  sail  upon  her,  but  had  a  very  dirty  night. 
At  eight  in  the  moreing  I  came  up  again,  found  it  Wow- 
ing hard  from  the  E.  N.  E.  with  close-reefed  top-par's 
upon  the  ship,  and  heavy  squalls  at  times.  Sir  Hyde 
came  upon  deck :  "  Well,  Archer,  what  do  you  think  of 
it  V  O,  Sir,  tis  only  a  touch  of  the  times,  we  shall 
have  an  observation  at  twelve  o'clock ;  the  clouds  are 
beginning  to  break ;  it  will  clear  up  at  noon,  or  else  blow 
tery  hard  afterwards.  "  I  wish  it  would  clear  up,  but  I 
doubt  it  much.  I  was  once  in  a  hurricane  in  the  East- 
Indies,  and  the  beginning  of  it  had  much  the  same  ap- 
pearance as  this.  So  take  in  the  top-sails,  we  have 
plenty  of  sea-room." 

At  twelve,  the  gale  still  increasing,  wore  ship,  to 
keep  as  near  mid  channel,  between-  Jamaica  and  Cuba, 
as  possible ;  at  one  the  gale  increasing  still ;  at  tvro 
harder !  Reefed  the  courses,  and  furled  them  ;  brought 
to  under  a  foul  mizen  stay-sail,  head  to  the  northward. 
In  the  evening  no  sign  «f  the  weather  taking  off,  but 
every  appearance  of  the  storm  increasing,  prepared  for 
a  proper  gale  of  wind;  secured  all  the  sails  with  spare 
gaskets  ;  good  roling  taWes  upon  the  yards ;  squared  the 
booms  ;  saw  the  boats  all  made  fast ;  new  lashed  the 
giins  ;  double  breeched  the  lower  deckers ;  saw  that  the 
carpenters  had  the  tarpaulins  and  batiins  all  ready  for 
hatchways ;  got  the  top-gallant  mast  down  upon  th'o 


236  LOSS    OP   THE   PHCENIS. 

deck ;  jil>boom  and  sprit-sail-yard  fore  and  aft ;  m 
fact  every  thing  we  could  think  of  to  make  a  smrg 
ship. 

The  poor  devils  of  birds  now  began  to  find  the  uproafr 
•in  the  elements,  for  numbers,  both  of  sea  and  land 
kinds,  came  on  board  of  us.  I  took  notice  of  some, 
which  happening  to  be  to  leeward,  turned  to  windward, 
like  a  ship,  tack  and  tack  :  for  they  could  not-fly  against 
it.  When  they  came  over  the  ship  they  dashed  them- 
selves down  upon  the  deck,  without  attempting  to  stir 
till  picked  up,  arid  when  let  go  again,  they  would  not 
leave  the  ship,  but  endeavored  to  hide  themselves  from 
the  wind. 

At  eight  o'clock  a  hurricane ;  the  sea  roaring,  but  the 
Wind  stiil  steady  to  a  point ;  did  not  ship  a  spoonful  of 
water.  However,  got  the  hatchways  all  secured,  ex- 
pecting what  would  be  the  consequence,  should  the  wind 
shift  ;  placed  the  carpenters  by  the  main- mast,  with 
broad  axes,  knowing,  from  experience,  that  at  the  mo- 
ment you  may  want  to  cut  it  away  to  save  the  ship,  a  a 
axe  may  not  b«  found.  Went  to  supper:  bread,  cheese, 
and  porter.  The  purser  frightened  out  of  his  wits  about 
his  bread  bags ;  the  two  marine  officers  as  white  as 
sheets,  not  understanding  the  ship's  working  so  much, 
and  the  noise  of  the  lower  deck  guns ;  which,  by  this 
thne,  made  a  pretty  screetching  to  the  people  not  used 
to  it;  it. seemed  as  if  the  whole  ship's  side  was  going  at 
each  roll.  Wooden,  our  carpenter,  was  all  this  time 
smoking  his  pipe  and  laughing  at  the  doctor;  the 
second  lieutenant  upon  deck,  and  the  third  in  his  ham- 
mock. 

At  ten  o'clock  I  thought  to  get  a  little  sleep  ;  came  to 
look  into  my  cot ;  it  was  full  of  water ;  for  every  seam, 
by  the  straining  of  the  ship,  had  begun  to  leak.  Stretch- 
ed myself,  therefore,  upon  deck  between  two  chests, 
and  left  orders  to  be  called,  should  the  least  thing  hap- 
pen. At  twelve  a  midshipman  came  to  me :  "  Mr.  Ar- 
cher, we  Are  "just  going  to  wear  ship,  Sir!"  O,  very 
wel!,  I'll  be  up  dreed/  ;  what  sort  of  weather  have  you 
got  ?  "  It  blows  a  hurricane."  Went  upon  deck,  found 
Sir  Hyde  there.  "  It  blows  daum'd  hard,  Archer."  It 


LOSS    OF   THE    PHCENIX.  287 

does  indeed,  Sir.  "  I  don't  know  that  I  ever  remem- 
ber its  blowing  so  hard  before,  but  the  ship  makes  a 
very  good  weather  of  it  upon  this  tack  as  she  bows  the 
sea;  but  we  must  wear  her,  as  the  wind  has  shifted  to 
the  S.  E.  and  we  were  drawing  right  upon  Cuba;  so 
do  you  go  forward,  and  have  some  hands  stand  by ; 
loose  the  lee  }-ard- arm  of  the  fore  sail,  and  when  she  is 
right  before  the  wind,  whip  the  clue  garnet  close  up,  and 
roll  up  the  sail."  Sir !  there  is  no  canvas  can  stand 
against  this  a  moment ;  if  \ve  attempt  to  loose  him  he 
will  fly  into  ribbands  in  an  instant,  and  we  may  lose 
three  or  four  of  our  people  ;  she'll  wear  by  manning  the 
fore  shrouds.  "  O,  I  don't  think  she  will."  I'll  an- 
swer for  it,  Sir;  I  have  seen  it  tried  several  times  on 
the  coast  of  America  with  success.  "  Well,  try  it  ; 
if  she  does  not  wear,  we  can  only  loose  the  fore  sail 
afterwards."  This  was  a  great  condescension  from  such 
a  imn  as  Sir  Hyde.  However,  by  sending  about  two 
hundred  people  into  the  fere-rigging,  after  a  hard  strug- 
gle, she  wore  ;  found  she  did  not  make  so  good  weather 
on  this  tack  as  on  the  other ;  for  as  the  sea  began  to 
run  across,  she  had  not  time  to  rise  from  one  sea  before 
another  dashed  against  her.  Began  to  think  we  should 
loose  our  masts,  as~  the  ship  lay  very  much  along,  by 
the  pressure  of  the  wind  constantly  upon  the  yards  and 
masts  alone  :  for  the  poor  mizen-stay-sail  had  gone  in 
yhreds  long  before,  and  the  sails  began  to  fly  from  the 
yards  through  the  gaskets  into  coach  whips.  My  God ! 
to  think  that  the  wind  could  have  such  force  ! 

Sir  Hyde  now  sent  me  to  see  what  \7as  the  matter  be- 
tween decks,  as  there  was  a  good  deal  of  noise.  As 
soon  as  I  was  below,  one  of  the  Marine  officers  calls 
out :  "  Good  God  !  Mr.  Archer,  we  are  sinking,  the 
water  is  up  to  the  bottom  of  my  cot."  Pooh,  pooh! 
as-  long  as  it  is  not  over  your  mouth,  you  are  wrll  off; 
what  the  devil  do  you  make  this  noise  for  ?  I  found 
there  was  some  water  between  decks,  bitf  nothing  to  be 
alarmed  at :  scutled  the  deck,  and  it  run  into  the  well ; 
found  she  made  a  good  deal  of  water  through  the  sides 
and  decks  ;  turned  the  watch  below  to  the  'pumps, 
(hough  only  two. feet'  of  water -in  the  v/ell  ;  but  expected 


2#B  tiOSS    OF   THE    KHENMt. 

to  be  kept  constantly  at  work  BOW,  as  the  ship  labored 
much,  with  scarcely  a  part  of  her  above  water  but  the 
quarterdeck,  and  that  but  seldom.  Come,  pump 
away,  my  boys.  Carpenters,  get  the  weather  chain- 
pump  rigged.  All  ready,  Sir.  Then  man  it,  and  keep 
both  pumps  going. 

At  two  o'clock  the  chain  pump  was  choked;  set  the 
carpenters  at  work  to  clear  it ;  the  two  head  pumps  at 
work  upon  deck  :  the  ship  gained  upon  us  while  our 
chain  pumps  were  idle ;  in  a  quarter  of  an  hour  tnty 
were  at  work  again,  and  we  began  to  gain  upon  her. 
While  I  was  standing  at  the  pumps,  cheering  the  people, 
Hie  carpenter's  mate  came  running  to  me  with  a  face  as 
long;  as  my  arm:  O,  Sir  !  the  ship  has  sprung  a  leak 
m  the  gunner's  room.  Go,  then,  and  tell  the  carpenter 
to  come  to  me,  but  do  not  speak  a  word  to  any  one  else. 
Mr.  Goodinoh,  I  am  told  there  is  a  leak  in  the  gunner's 
room  ;  go  and  see  what  is  the  matter,  but  do  not  alarm 
any  body,  and  come  and  rv*ke  your  report  privately 
to  me.  In  a  short  time  he  returned  ;  Sir,  there  is  noth- 
ing there,  it  is  only  the  water  washing  up  between  the 
timbers  that  this  booby  has  taken  for  a  leak.  O, 
very  well  ;  go  uf)on  deck  and  see  if  you  can  keep 
any  of  the  water  from  washing  down  below.  Sir,  I 
have  had  four  people  constantly  keeping  the  hatchways 
secure,  but  there  is  such  a  weight  of  water  upon  the 
deck  that  nobody  can  stand  it  when  the  ship  rolls. 
The  gunner  soon  afterwards  came  to  me,  saying,  Mr. 
Archer,  I  should  be  glad  if  yon  would  step  this  way  into 
i-he  magazine  for  a  moment  : — I  thought  some  damned 
thing  was  the  matter,  and  ran  directly. — Well,  what  is 
the  matter  here  ?  He  answered,  the  ground  tier  of 
powder  is  spoiled,  and  I  want  to  shew  you  that  it  is  not 
out  of  carelessness  in  me  in  stowing  k,  for  no  powder  in 
the  world  could  be  better  stowed.  Now,  sir,  what  am  [ 
to  do  ?  If  you  do  not  speak  to  Sir  Hyde,  he  will  be 
angry  with  me.  I  could  not  forbear  smiling  to  see  how 
easy  he  took  tho  danger  of  the  ship,  find  said  to  him, 
Let  us  shake  oiT  (his  gale  of  wind  first,  aii'J  talk  of  the 
damaged  powder  afterwards.- 


LOSS    OF   THE    P1KENIX.  289 

At  four  we  had  sained   upon  the  ship  a  little,  and  I 
went  upon  deck,  it  being  my  watch.     The  second  lieu- 
tenant relieved  me  at  the  pumps:     Who  can  attempt  to 
describe  the  appearance  of  things  upon  deck  ?  If  I  was 
to  write  for  ever  I  could  not  give  you  an  idea  of  it — a 
total  darkness  all  above  ;  the  sea  on  fire,  running  as  it 
were  in  Alps,  or   Peaks  of  Tcneriffe  ;  (mountains    are 
too  common    an   idea;)  the   wind  roaring   louder  than 
thunder,  (absolutely  no  flight  of  imagination, )  the  whole 
made  more  terrible,  if  possible,  by  a  very  uncommon 
kind  of  blue  lightning ;  the  poor  ship  very  much  pressed, 
yet  doing  what  she  could,  shaking  her  sides,  and  groan- 
ing at  every   stroke,     bir  Hyde   upon    deck  lashed  to 
windward  !  I  soon  lashed  myself  alongside  of  him,  and 
told  him  the  situation  of  tilings  below,  saying   the    ship 
did   not  make  more  water  than  might  be  expected    in 
such  weather,  and  that  1  was  only  afraid  of  a  gun  break- 
ing loose.     "  I  am  not  in  the  least  afraid  of  that ;  I  have 
commanded  her  six  years,  and  h;ive  had  many  a  gale  of 
wind  in  her;  so  that  her  iron  work,  which  always  gives 
way  first  is  pretty  well  tried.     Hold  fast !  that  was  an 
ugly  sea  ;  we  must  lower  the  yards,  I  believe,  Archer  ; 
the  ship  is  much  pressed."     If  we  attempt  it,  Sir,  we  shall 
lose  them,  for  a  man  aloft  can  do  nothing; ;  besides  their 
being  down  would  ease   the  ship  very  little ;  the  main- 
mast is  a  sprung  mast ;  I  wish  it  was  overboard  without 
carrying  any  thing  else  along  with  it ;  hut  that  can  soon 
be  done,  the  gale  cannot  last  for  ever  ;  'twill  soon   be 
day-light  now.     Found    by   the  master's   watch   that  it 
was  five  o'clock,  though  but  a  little  after  four  by  ours  ; 
glad  it  was  so    near  day-light,  uul  Jooked   for  it  with 
much  anxiety.     Cuba,  thou  art  much  in  our  way  !  An- 
other  ugly  sea  :  sent  a  midshipman  to  bring  news  from 
the  pumps;  the    ship   was  gaining  on  them  very  much, 
for   they   had    broken  one  of  their   chains,  but   it  was 
almost    mended   agsin.      News  from   the  pump    again. 
i;  She  still  gains  !  a  heavy  lee !"  Back- water   from  lee- 
ward, half-way   up  the  quarterdeck;  filled  one  cf  the 
cutters  up  on  t!ie  booms,  and  tore  her  all  to  pieces  ;  the 
ship  lying  alrhost  on  her  beams  end,  s^d  not  attempting 
to  right  agF.ifl.     Word    from   below    lhat  the  ship    still 
A  a 


290  LOSS    OF   THE    PHSENIX. 

gained  on  them,  as  they  could  not  stand  to-  the  pumps, 
she  lay  so  much  along.  I  said  to  Sir  Hyde:  This  is 
jno  time,  Sir,  to  think  of  saving  the  masts,  shall  we  cut 
the  main  mast  away  ?  "  Aye  !  as  fast  as  you  can."  I 
accordingly  went  into  the  weather  chains  with  a  pole  ax, 
to  cut  away  the  lanyards  ;  the  boatswain  went  to  leeward, 
and  the  carpenters  stood  by  the  mast.  We  were  all 
ready,  when  a  very  violent  sea  broke  right  on  board  of 
us,  carried  every  thing  upon  deck  away,  filled  the  ship 
with  water,  the  main  and  mizen-masts  went,  the  ship 
righted,  but  was  in  the  last  struggle  of  sinking  un- 
der us. 

As  soon  as  we  could  shake  our  heads  above  water, 
Sir  Hyde  exclaimed :  "  We  are  gone,  at  last,  Archer  ! 
ibundered  at  sea  !"  Yes,  Sir,  farewell,  and  the  Lord 
have  mercy  upon  us  !  I  then  turned  about  to  look 
at  the  ship  ;  and  thought  she  was  struggling  to  get  rid  of 
some  of  the  water ;  but  all  in  vain,  she  was  almost  full 
below.  "  Almighty  God  !  I  thank  thee,  that  now  I  am 
leaving  this  world,  which  I  have  always  considered  as 
only  a  passage  to  a  better,  I  die  with  a  full  hope  of  thy 
mercies  through  the  merits  of  Jtsus  Christ,  thy  son,  our 
Saviour  !" 

I  then  felt  sorry  that  I  <?ould  swim,  as  by  that  means 
I  might  be  a  quarter  of  an  hour  longer  dying  than  a  man 
who  could  not,  and  it  is  impossible  to  divest  ourselves 
of  a  wish  to  preserve  life.  At  the  end  of  these  reflec- 
tions I  thought  I  heard  the  ship  thump  and  grinding 
under  our  feet ;  it  was  so.  Sir,  the  ship  is  aaihore  ! 
ki  What  do  you  say  ?"  The  ship  is  ashore,  and  we 
may  save  ourselves  yet !  By  this  time  the  quarter- 
deck was  full  of  men  who  had  come  up  from  below ; 
;md  the  Lord  have  mercy  upon  us,  flying  about  from  all 
quarters.  The  ship  now  made  every  body  sensible  that 
she  was  ashore,  for  every  stroke  threatened  a  total  disso- 
lution of  her  whole  frame  ;  found  she  was  stern  ashore, 
and  the  bow  broke  the  sea  a  good  deal,  though  it  was 
washing  clean  over  at  every  stroke.  Sir  Hyde  cried 
out:  "Keep  to  the  quarterdeck,  my  lads,  when  she 
goes  to  pieces  it  is  your  best  chance  1"  Providentially  got 


LOSS   OF   THE    PHCENIX.  291 

the  foremast  cut  away,  that  she  might  not  pay  rount! 
broad-side.  Lost  five  men  cutting  away  the  foremast, 
by  the  breaking  of  a  sea  on  board  just  as  the  mast 
went.  That  was  nothing ;  every  one  expected  it  would 
be  his  own  fate  next ;  looked  for  day- break  with  the 
greatest  impatience.  At  last  it  came  :  but  what  a  scene 
did  it  shew  us  !  The  ship  upon  a  bed  of  rocks,  moun- 
tains of  them  on  one  side,  and  Cordilleras  of  water  on 
the  other  :  our  poor  ship  grinding  and  crying  out  at 
every  stroke  between  them  ;  going  away  by  piece-meal. 
However,  to  shew  the  unaccountable  workings  of  Provi- 
dence, that  which  often  appears  to  be  the  greatest  evil, 
proves  to  be  the  greatest  good  !  That  unmerciful 
sea  lifted  and  beat  us  up  so  high  among  the  rocks, 
that  at  last  the  ship  scarcely  moved.  She  was 
very  strong,  and  did  not  go  to  pieces  at  the  first 
thumping,  though  her  decks  tumbled  in.  We  found 
afterwards  that  she  had  beat  over  a  ledge  of  rocks, 
almost  a  quarter  of  a  mile  in  extent  beyond  us,  where 
if  she  had  struck,  every  soul  of  us  must  have  per- 
ished. 

I  EOVT  began  to  think  of  getting  on  shore,  so  stripped 
off  my  coat  and  shoes  for  a  swiiri,  and  looked  for  a 
line  to  carry  tbe  end  with  me.  Luckily  could  not  find 
one,  which  gave  me  time  for  recollection  :  "  This  won't 
fto  for  me,  to  be  the  first  man  out  of  the  ship,  and  first 
lieutenant ;  we  may  get  to  England  again,  and  people 
may  think  I  paid  a  great  deal  of  attention  to  myself,  and 
did  not  care  for  any  body  else.  No,  that  won't  do  ;  in- 
stead of  being  the  first,  I'll  see  every  man,  sick  and 
well,  out  of  her  before  me." 

I  now  thought  there  was  no  probability  of  the  ship's 
soon  going  to  pieces,  therefore  had  not  a  thought  of 
instant  death  :  took  a  look  round  with  a  kind  of  philo- 
sophic eye,  to  see  how  the  same  situafibn  aifected 
my  companions,  and  was  surprised  to  find  the  most 
swaggering,  swearing  bullies  in  fine  weather,  now  the 
most  pitiful  wretches  on  earth,  when  death  appeared  be- 
fore them.  However,  two  got  safe  ;  by  which  means, 
with  a  line,  we  got  a  hawser  on  shore,  and  made  fast 
tor  the  rocks,  opon,  which  many  ventured  and  arrived 


LOSS    tF   THE 

safe.  There  were  some  sick  and  wounded  on 
who  could  not  avail  themselves  of  this  method  ;  we 
therefore,  got  a  spare  top-sail-yard  from  the  chains 
and  placed  one  end  ashore  and  the  Other  on  the 
cabin  window,  so  that  most  of  the  sick  got  ashore  this 
way. 

As  I  had  determined,  so  I  was  the  last  man  out  of 
the  ship ;  this  was  about  ten  o'clock.  The  gale  now  be- 
gan to  break.  Sir  Hyde  came  to  me,  and  taking  me 
by  the  hand  was  so  affected  that  he  was  scarcely  able  to 
speak.  "  Archer,  I  am  happy  beyond  expression,  to 
see  you  on  the  shore,  but  look  at  our  poor  Phcenix  !"  I 
turned  about,  but  could  not  say  a  single  word,  being 
too  full :  my  mind  had  been  too  intensely  occupietf 
before ;  but  every  thing  now  rushed  upon  me  at  once, 
so  that  I  could  not  contain  myself,  and  I  indulged  for  a 
full  quarter  of  an  hour. 

By  twelve  it  was  pretfy  moderate  ;  got  some  nails  on 
shore  and  made  tents ;  found  great  qualities  of  fish 
driven  up  by  the  sea  into  holes  of  the  rocks  ;  knocked 
up  a  fire,  and  had  a  most  comfortable  dinner.  In  the 
afternoon  made  a  stage  from  the  cabin  windows  to  the 
rocks,  arid  got  out  some  provisions  and  water,  lest  the 
ship  should  go  to  pieces,  in  which  case  we  must  all  have 
perished  of  hunger  and  thirst ;  for  we  were  upon  a  des- 
olate part  of  the  coasf,  and  under  a  rocky  mountain, 
that  could  not  supply  us  with  a  single  drop  of  water. 

Slept  comfortably  this  night,  and  the  next  day  the  idea 
of  death  vanishing  by  degrees,  the  prospect  of  being 
prisoners,  during  the  war,  at  the  Havannah,  and  walking 
three  hundred  miles  to  it  through  the  woods,  was  rather 
unpleasant.  However,  to  save  life  for  the  present,  we 
employed  this  day  in  getting  more  provisions  and  water 
on  shore,  which  was  not  an  easy  matter,  on  account  of 
decks,  guns,  and  rubbish,  end  ten  feet  water  that  lay 
over  them.  In  the  evening  I  proposed  to  Sir  Hyde  to 
repair  the  remains  of  the  only  boat  left,  and  to  venture 
in  her  to  Jamaica  myself ;  and  in  case  I  arrived  safe,  to 
bring  vessels  to  take  them  all  off ;  a  proposal  worthy  of 
consideration.  It  was  next  day  agreed  to  ;  therefore  got 
*ne  cutler  en  shore,  and  set  the  carpenters  to  work  on 


LOSS    OF   THE    Pfl(ENIX.  293 

her;  in  two  Jays  she  was  ready,  and  at  four  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon  I  embarked  with  four  volunteers  and  a 
fortnight's  provision  ;  hoisted  English  colors  as  we  put 
off  from  shore,  and  received  three  cheers  from  the  lads 
left  behind,  and  set  sail  with  a  light  heart ;  having  not 
Hie  least  doubt,  that,  with  God's  assistance,  we  should 
come  and  bring  them  all  off.  Had  a  very  squally  night, 
and  a  very  leaky  boat,  so  as  to  keep  t\vv-  buckets  con- 
stantly baling.  Steered  her  myself  the  whole  night  by 
the  stars,  and  in  the  morning  saw  the  coast  of  Jamaica 
distant  twelve  leagues.  At  eight  in  the  evening  arrived 
at  Monte  go  Bay. 

I  must  now  begin  to  leave  off,  particularly  as  I  have 
but  half  an  hour  to  conclude ;  else  my  pretty  little  short 
letter  will  loose  its  passage,  which  I  should  not  like,  after 
being  ten  days,  at  different  times,  writing  it,  beating  ur» 
with  the  convoy  to  the  northward,  which  is  a  reason 
this  epistle  will  never  read  well  ;  for  I  never  sat  down 
with  a  proper  disposition  to  go  on  with  it ;  but  as  I  knew 
something  ef  the  kind  would  please  you,  I  was  resolved 
to  finish  it  :  yet  it  will  not  bear  an  overhaul ;  so  do  nof 
expose  your  '-son's  nonsense. 

But  to  proceed — I  instantly  sent  off  an  express  to  the* 
Admiral,  another  to  the  Porcupine  man  of  war,  and  went 
myself  to  Martha  Bray  to  get  vessels  ;  for  all  their  \« 
sels  here,  as  well  as  many  of  their  houses,  were  gone  to 
Moco.  Got  three  small  vessels,  and  set  out  back  again  to 
Cuba,  where  I  arrived  the  fourth  day  after  leaving  my 
companions.  I  thought  the  ship's  crew  would  have  de- 
voured me  on  my  landing ;  they  presently  whisked  me 
up  on  their  shoulders  and  carried  me  to  the  tent  where 
Sir  Hyde  was. 

I  must  omit  many  little  occurrences  that  happened  on 
shore,  for  want  of  time  ;  but  I  shall  have  a  number  of 
stories  to  tell  when  I  get  alongside  of  you  ;  and  the  i.ext 
time  I  visit  you  I  shall  not  be  in  such  a  hurry  to  quit  you 
as  I  was  the  last,  for  then  I  hoped  my  nest  would  have 
been  pretty  well  feathered :— But  my  tale  is  forgotten. 

I  found  the  Porcupine  had  anived  that  dayf  and  the 
lads  had  built  a  boat  almost  ready  for  launching,  that 
would  hold  fifty  of  them,  which  was  intended  for  ^  other 


294  LOSS   OF   THE   PHOENIX. 

trial,  in  case  I  had  foundered.  Next  day  embarked  all 
our  people  that  were  left,  amounting  to  two  hundred  and 
fifty  ;  for  some  had  died  of  their  wounds  they  received 
in  getting  on  shore  ;  others  of  drinking  rum,  and  others 
had  straggled  into  the  country.  All  our  vessels  were  so 
full  of  people,  that  we  could  not  take  away  the  few 
clothes  that  were  saved  from  the  wreck ;  but  that  was  a 
trifle  since  we  had  preserved  our  lives  and  liberty.  To 
make  short  of  my  story,  we  all  arrived  safe  at  Montego 
Bay,  and  shortly  after  at  Port  Royal,  in  the  Janus,  which 
was  sent  on  purpose  for  us,  and  were  all  honorably  ac- 
quitted for  the  loss  of  the  ship.  I  was  made  admiral's 
aid  de  camp,  and  a  little  time  afterwards  sent  down  to 
St.  Juan  as  captain  of  the  Resource,  to  bring  what  were 
left  of  the  poor  devils  to  Bkie  Fields,  on  the  Musquito 
shore,  and  then  to  Jamaica,  where  they  arrived  after 
three  months  absence,  and  without  a  prize,  though  I 
looked  out  hard  off  Porto  Bello  and  Carthagena.  Found 
ki  my  absence  that  I  had  been  appointed  captain  of  the 
Tobago,  where  I  remain  his  Majesty's  most  true  and 
faithful  servant,  and  my  dear  mother's  most  dutiful  son. 

ARCHER. 


SMC   SUJFE11ING8   iUT 

EGBERT  SCOTNJBT, 

Second  Male  of  ike  Brig  Tk&ma*,  Captain  Gardne* •, 

TT&O  survived  by  kimself  Seventy-Five  days  in  a 

perfect  Wreck,  in  the  year  1803. 

JL  HE  extraordinary  case  of  Robert  Scotney,  a 
native  of  Spalding,  in  Lincolnshire,  was  communicated 
as  follows,  in  a  letter  from  Mr.  Paulin,  the  fourth  officer 
of  the  Europe,  to  his  father,  dated, 

11  Madras  Roads  t  Sept.  8,  1803. 

*  On  the  29th  June,  about  half  past  eight,  A.  M.  we 
saw  a  small  boat  on  our  starboard  bow,  which  upon  near- 
ing,  we  discovered  to  have  only  one  sail  set,  and  other- 
wise a  perfect  wreck,  No  one  was  observed  to  be  on 
her  deck,  until,  upon  hailing  her,  a  wretched  object 
presented  himself,  apparently  in  a  most  distressed  situ- 
ation, and  in  the  posture  of  imploring  our  assistance. 
A  boat  was  immediately  sent  on  board  her,  with  Mr. 
Mackeson,  the  second  officer,  who  returned  with  him, 
having  sent  the  wreck  adrift. 

"  By  the  poor  man's  account,  it  seems  he  sailed  frcm 
London  as  second  mate  of  the  brig  Thomas,  of  London, 
commanded  by  captain  Gardner,  belonging  to  Broderick, 
and  Co.  of  Wapping,  on  the  4th  of  March,  i  802,  bound 
to  the  Southern  Ocean,  on  the  whale-fishery.  That, 
after  touching  at  several  places  on  their  outward  bound 
voyage,  they  arrived  at  btaten-Island,  where  they  con- 


296  SUFFERINGS   OF 

firmed  sixer  seven  months,  and  got  about  seven  or  eight 
hundred  skins.  In  the  course  of  that  time  they  rose 
upon  her  long-boat,  lengthened  and  decked  her,  and 
converted  her  into  a  shallop,  of  which  they  gave  him  the 
command,  and  put  three  other  seamen  on  board  under 
him,  with  orders  to  accompany  the  brig  to  the  island  of 
Georgia,  situated  in  about  latitude  54  deg.  30.  rnin.  S. 
long.  30  deg.  40  min.  W. ;  where  they  were  bound,  to 
procure  seals  and  sea-elephants.  They  accordingly  left 
Staten  Island  the  end  of  January,  in  company  with  the 
brig,  and  after  a  passage  of  eleven  days,  arrived  at  the 
island  of  Georgia,  where  they  remained  about  two 
months,  and  left  it  in  the  beginning  of  April — their  own 
and  another  brig  (the  John,  of  Boston)  in  compaay — 
and  stood  for  the  island  of  Tristan  de  Cunha,  situated, 
by  Dairy mple's  charts,  in  lat.  37  deg.  22  min.  long.  13 
deg.  17  min.  W. 

"  On  the  14th  of  April  they  parted  from  their  consort 
in  a  heavy  gale  of  wind.  He  lost  his  three  hands,  who 
were  washed  overboard  by  a  tremendous  sea,  from 
which  he  himself  narrowly  escaped,  having  a  moment 
before  gone  below  for  a  knife  to  cut  away  some  rigging. 
At  that  time  he  had  on  board  only  three  pounds  and  a 
half  of  meat,  three  pounds  of  flour,  six  pounds  of  bread, 
ajid  two  hogsheads  of  water,  which  were  all  more  or  less 
damaged  by  the  gale;  §ome  whale-oil  remaining  at  the- 
bottom  of  the  casks,  a  small  quantity  of  salt,  and  some 
tobacco.  On  this  scanty  pittance,  and  without  any 
means  of  dressing  even  that,  he  prolonged  his  existence 
for  the  surprising  period  of  Seventy-Five  days  I 

"  He  likewise  emptied  a  medicine-chest  he  had  ou 
board,  and  got  out  of  it  some  burning  medicines,  which 
be  found  made  his  body  a  little  comfortable  and  warm, 
as  he  never  had  his  clothes  off.  He  was  almost  con- 
stantly wet. 

"  When  we  fell  in  with  him  he  was  shaping  his  course 
for  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  having  missed  the  island  of 
Tristan  de  Cunha,  to  which  it  \yas  his  intention  to  have 
proceeded  for  the  purpose  of  rejoining  his  consort, 
whom  he  expected  to  have  found  there.  His  debility 
was,  however,  so  great,  that  he  bad  been  for  several 


EGBERT    SC'JTKEY,  297 

days  previous  incapable  of  going  into  the  hold  of  his 
vessel  Tor  what  little  sustenance  then  remained,  or  of 
shifting  his  helm  should  a  change  of  \\ind  have  happened. 

"  He  then  lived  mostly  on  tobacco,  which  he  lock  an 
amazing  quantity  of;  and  when  he  came  on  board,  both 
his  cheeks  were  swelled  out  amazingly  with  the  ruinous 
quantity  he  had  in  his  mouth,  and  which  he  seemed  to 
suck  with  convulsive  agony. 

"  The  appearance  of  this  poor  wretch,  when  he  was 
hauled  up  the  side  (for  he  could  not  walk.)  deeply  affect- 
ed every  one  :  he  had  entirely  lost  the  use  of  his  ex- 
tremities:— his  countenance  was  pallid  and  emaciated  ; 
and  it  was  the  opinion  of  our  surgeon  that  he  could  not 
have  prolonged  his  existence  two  days  longer. 

"  It  is  not  necessary  to  enlarge  upon  the  thankfulness 
*f  the  poor  fellow  for  his  preservation,  or  that  he  expe- 
rienced every  possible  assistance  which  his  situation 
required,  and  which,  I  make  no  doubt,  you  will  hear 
with  pleasure,  proved  successful.'* 

Further  confirmations  of  this  account  were  received 
by  Messrs.  Peter  and  William  Mellish,  on  the  10th  of 
March,  1804,  from  Captain  Gilson,  of  their  ship  Eu- 
rope, en  his  voyage  to  Madras.  Another  letter  from 
Mr.  Pattison  gave  nearly  the  same  statement  as  above, 
with  the  addition  of  what  is  truly  characteristic  of  Brit- 
ish seamen,  that  the  sailors  of  the  Europe  raised  a  purse 
f&r  the  poor  feHew  ef  «ne  hundred  snd  fifteen  guineas. 


THE  SUFFERINGS 

OF  EPHRAIM  HOW, 

Of  New-Haven,  tvJio  set  sail  for  Boston  in  a  sinatt 
Ketch,  which  on  its  return  was  wrecked  near 
Cape  Sable,  in  the  Fear 


Ihe  26th  of  August,  1876,  Mr.  Ephraim 
Mow,  of  New- Haven,  in  New  England,  with  his  two 
eldest  sons  ;  one  Mr.  Augur  ;  Caleb  Jones,  son  to  Mr. 
William  Jones,  one  of  the  magistrates  of  New-Haven  ; 
and  a  boy  ;  six  persons  in  all  ;  set  sail  from  New- 
Haven  for  Boston,  in  a  small  ketch,  of  about  seven- 
teen tons. 

Having  despatched  his  business  there,  he  sailed  for 
New  Haven  on  the  10th  of  September,  but  was  forced 
back  to  Boston  by  contrary  winds.  Here  Mr.  How  was 
seized  with  e  violent  flux,  which  continued  nearly  a 
month  ;  many  being  at  that  time  sick,  and  some  dying 
of  the  same. 

Being  in  some  degree  restored  to  health,  he  again 
sailed  from  Boston,  October  10.  They  went  with  a 
wind  as  far  as  Cape  Cod  :  but  on  a  sudden  the  weather 
became  very  tempestuous,  so  that  they  ceuld  not  pass 
the  Cape,  but  were  driven  off  to  sea,  where  they  were 
in  great  danger,  experiencing  terrible  storms,  with  out- 
rageous wjrids  and  seas. 

His  eldest  son  fell  sick  and  died  about  the  2 1st ;  soon 
after  his  other  son  was  taken  ill  and  died  also.  This 
was  a  bitter  cup  to  the  poor  father,  for  these  youths 
were  his  only  assistance  in  working  the  vessel.  Soon 
after  Caleb  Jones  died,  so  that  half  the  company  were 
now  no  PI  ore. 


SUFFERINGS    OP   EPHRAJM    HOW. 

-  *  Mr.  How  continued  in  a  very  sickly  and  weak  state, 
yet  was  necessitated  to  stand  at  the  helm  twenty-four 
and  thirty-six  hours  together.  During  this  time  the  se* 
was  so  boisterous  as  frequently  to  break  over  the  vessel, 
and  if  he  had  not  baen  lashed  fast  he  must  have  been 
washed  overboard.  In  this  extremity,  he  was  at  a  loss 
in  his  own  thoughts,  whether  he  should  persist  in  endeav- 
oring to  make  for  the  New-England  shore,  or  bear  away 
for  the  Southern  Islands.  Upon  his  proposing  the  ques- 
tion to  Mr.  Augur,  they  determined,  according  -to  the 
custom  of  some  in  those  times,  to  decide  this  difficult 
case  by  cabling  lots.  They  did  so,  and  it  fell  upon 
New  England. 

Nearly  about  the  7th  of  November  they  lost  their 
rudder,  so  that  now  their  only  dependance  was  upon 
Providence.  In  this  deplorable  state  they  drove  up- and 
down  for  a  fortnight  longer.  During  the  last  six  weeks, 
the  poor  infirm  Mr.  How  was  hardly  ever  dry,  nor 
had  he  the  benefit  of  warm  food  above  tbrice  or  there- 
abouts. 

At  length,  about  the  21st  of  Novembev,  early  in  the 
mornirg,  the  vessel  was  driven  on  the  tailings  of  a  ledge 
of  rocks,  where  the  sea  broke  violently.  Looking  out, 
they  saw  a  dismal  rocky  island  to  the  leeward,  upon 
wliich,  if  Providence  had  not  by  the  breakers  given 
them  timely  warninr,  they  had  been  dashed  to  pieces. 
They  immediately  let  go  an  anchor,  and  got  out  the 
boat,  and  the  sea  became  calm.  The  boat  proving  leaky, 
and  they  being  in  great  terror  they  took  but  little  out  of 
the  ketch,  but  got  on  shore  as  they  cots  Id. 

Here  they  could  discover  neither  man  nor  beast.  It 
was  a  small,  rocky,  desolate  island,  near  Cape  Sable, 
the  Southern  extremity  of  Nova-Scotia.  They  now 
appeared  to  be  in  great  danger  of  being  starved  to  death, 
but  the  storm  returning,  beat  so  violently  upon  the  ves- 
sel, as  it  still  lay  at  anchor,  that  it  was  stove  to  pieces, 
and  several  things  floated  to  the  shore. 

The  following  articles  were  all  they  hjid  towards  their 
future  support : — A  cask  of  gunpowder,  which  received 
no  damage  ,  from  the  water  ;  a  barrel  of  wine  ;  half  a 
barrel  of  molasses  ;  and  several  useful  articles  towards 


SUFFERINGS    OF   EPHRAIM    ROW. 

building  a  tent :  all  the  above  drifted  from  the  wreck  ; 
besides  which  they  had,  firearms  and  shot;  a  pot  for 
boiling  ;  and  most  probably  other  things  not  mentioned 
in  the  narrative. 

Their  tent  was  soon  erected,  for  the  cold  was  now 
getting  severe,  but  new  and  great  distresses  attended  them, 
for  though  they  had  arms  and  ammunition,  there  were 
seldom  any  fowls  to  be  seen,  except  crows,  ravens,  and 
sea-gulls.  These  were  so  few,  that  they  could  seldom 
shoot  more  than  one  at  a  time.  Many  times  half  a 
fowl,  with  the  liquor  it  was  boiled  in,  served  for  a  meal 
for  all  three.  Once  they  lived  five  days  without  any  sus- 
tenance, but  did  not  feel  themselves  pinched  with  hun- 
ger as  at  other  times  ;  which  they  esteemed  a  special 
favor  of  heaven  unto  them. 

When  they  had  lived  in  this  miserable  condition 
twelve  weeks,  Mr  How's  dear  friend  asd  companion, 
Mr.  Augur,  died,  about  the  middle  of  February,  1677  ; 
so  that  he  had  none  left  to  converse  with  but  the  lad, 
who  likewise  departed  on  the  2d  of  April. 

Mr.  How  was  now  the  sole  inhabitant  of  this  desolate 
spot  during  April,  May,  and  June,  and  saw  fishing  ves- 
sels, every  now  and  then,  sailing  by  ;  some  of  which 
came  even  nearer  to  the  island  than  that  which  at  last 
took  him  off.  He  used  all  the  means  in  his  power  to 
make  them  acquainted  with  his  distress  ;  but  they  either 
did  not  see  him,  or  were  afraid  to  approach  close  to  the 
island,  lest  some  oi  those  Indians  should  be  quartered 
there,  who  were  at  that  time  in  hostility  against  the 
English,  viz.  the  North- East.  Indians,  who  held  out  after 
the  death  of  the  famous  Philip,  king  of  the  Wompanags. 

At  length  a  vessel  belonging  to  Salem,  in  New-Eng- 
land, providentially  passed  by,  and  seeing  this  poor  fel- 
low, they  sent  their  boat  on  shore,  and  took  him  away. 
He  had  been  on  this  island  more  than  seven  months,  and 
above  a  quarter  of  a  year  by  himself.  On  the  ICth  of 
July  he  arrived  at  Salem,  and  at  last  returned  to  his 
family  at  New-Haven.  They  for  twelve  months  had  sup- 
posed him-  dead :  by  which  it  appeass  he  did  not  get 
home  till  the  cad  of  August,  or  perhaps  later. 


304 


LOSS    OF   HIS 


MAJESTY'S  SHIP  LA  TRIBUNE, 

Off  Halifax,  (Nova  Scotia,)  November,  1797. 


I  A\  Tribune  was  one  of  the  finest  frigates  in 
his  Majesty's  navy,  mounted  44  guns,  and  had  recently 
been  taken  from  the  French  by  Captain  Williams  in  the 
Unicorn  frigate.  She  was  commanded  by  Capt.  S.  Bar- 
ker, and  on  the  22d  of  September,  1797,  sailed  from 
Torbay  as  convoy  to  the  Quebec  and  Newfoundland 
fleets.  In  latitude  49  deg.  14  min.  longitude  17  deg. 
22  miu.  she  fell  in  and  spoke  with  his  Majesty's  ship  Ex- 
periment, from  Halifax  ;  and  lost  sight  of  all  her  con- 
voy  on  the  10th  of  October,  in  latitude  74  deg.  16  min. 
longitude  32  deg.  1 1  min. 

About  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning  of  the  following 
Thursday  they  came  in  sight  of  the  harbor  of  Halifax, 
and  approached  it  very  fast,  with  an  E.  S.  E.  wind,*  when 
Captain  Barker  proposed  to  the  master  to  lay  the  ship  to, 
till  they  could  procure  a  piiot.  The  master  replied, 
that  he  had  beat  a  44  gun  ship  into  the  harbor,  that  he 
had  frequently  been  there,  and  there  was  no  occasion 
for  a  pilot,  as  the  wind  was  fovorable.  Confiding  in 
these  assurances,  Captain  Barker  went  into  his  cabin, 
where  he  was  employed  in  arranging  some  papers  which 
he  intended  to  take  on  shore  wirh  him.  In  the  mean 
time  the  master,  placing  great  depcndance  on  the  judg- 
ment of  a  negro,  named  John  Cosey,  who  had  former- 
ly belonged  to  Halifax,  took  upon  himself  the  pilotage 
of  the  ship.  By  twelve  o'clock  the  ship  had  approach- 
ed so  near  the  Thrum  Cap  shoals  that  the  master  be 
Bb 


302  LOSS    OP   THJE  LA   TRIBUNE. 

came  alarmed,  and  sent  for  Mr.  Galvin,  master's  mate, 
who  was  sick  below.  On  his  coming  upon  deck,  he 
heard  the  man  in  the  chains  sing  out,  "  by  the  mark 
five  !"  the  black  man  forward  at  the  same  time  crying, 
"  steady  !"  Galvin  got  on  one  of  the  carronades  to  ob- 
serve the  situation  of  the  ship  ;  the  master  ran,  in  great 
agitation,  to  the  wheel,  and  took  it  from  the  man  who 
was  steering,  with  the  intention  of  wearing  the  ship  ; 
but  before  this  could  be  effected,  or  Galvin  was  able  to 
give  an  opinion,  she  struck.  Captain  Barker  immedi- 
ately went  on  deck  and  reproached  the  master  with  hav- 
ing lost  the  ship.  Seeing  Galvin  likewise  on  deck,  he 
addressed  him,  and  said,  "  that,  knowing  he  had  for- 
merly sailed  out  of  the  harbour,  he  was  surprised  he 
^eould  stand  by  and  see  the  master  run  the  ship  on 
shore  ;"  to  which  Galvin  replied,  "  that  he  had  not  been 
en  deck  long  enough  to  give  an  opjnion." 

Signals  of  distress  were  instantly  made,  and  answer- 
ed by  the  military  posts  and  ships  in  the  harbor,  from 
which,  as  we|l  as  the  dock-yard,  boats  immediately  put 
off  to  the  relief  of  the  Tribune.  Tjie  military  boats, 
and  one  of  those  from  the  dock  yard,  with  Mr.  Rack- 
wm,  boatswain  of  the  Ordinary,  reached  the  ship,  but 
the  wind  was  so  much  against  the  others,  that,  in  spite 
of  all  their  exertions,  they  were  unable  to  get  on  board. 
The  ship  was  immediately  lightened  by  throwing  over- 
board all  her  guns,  excepting  one  retained  for  signals, 
and  every  other  -heaver  article,  so  that  about  half  past 
eight  o'clock  in  the  evening  the  ship  began  to  heave, 
and  at  nine  got  off  the  shoals.  She  had  lost  her  rudder 
about  three  hours  before,  and  it  was  now  found,  on  ex- 
amination, that  she  had  seven  fee,t  water  in  her  hold. 
The  chain-pumps  were  immediately  manned,  and  such 
exertions  were  made,  that  they  seemed  to  gain  on  the 
leaks.  By  the  advice  of  Mr.  Rackum,  the  captain  or- 
dered the  best  bower  anchor  to  be  let  go,  but  this  did 
not  bring  her  up.  He  then  ordered  the  cable  to  be 
cut ;  and  the  jib  and  fore  ,top-mast  stay-sail  were  hoisted 
to  steer  by.  During  this  interval  a  violent  gale,  which 
had  come  on  at  S.  E.  kept  increasing,  and  carrying  the 
ship  to  the  western  skore.  The  small  bower  anchor  was 


LOSS    OF   THE    LA   TRIBUNE.  303 

soon  afterwards  let  go  ;  at  which  time  they  found  them- 
selves in  thirteen  fathom  water,  and  the  mi z en  mast  was 
then  cut  away. 

It  <vas  now  ten  o'clock,  and  as  the  water  gained  fast 
»pon  them,  the  crew  had  bat  little  hope  left  of  saving 
either  the  ship  or  their  lives.  At  this  critical  peiiod 
Lieutenant  Campbell  quitted  the  ship,  and  Lieutenant 
North  was  taken  into  the  boat  out  of  one  of  the  ports. 
From  the  moment  at  which  the  former  left  the  vessel  all 
hopes  of  safet3r  had  vanished  ;  the  ship  was  sinking  fast, 
the  storm  was  increasing  with  redoubled  violence,  and 
the  rocky  shore  which  they  were  approaching,  resound- 
ing with  the  tremendous  noise  of  the  rolling  billows, 
presented  nothing  to  those  who  might  survive  the  loss 
of  the  ship  but  the  expectation  of  a  more  painful  death, 
by  being  dashed  against  precipices,  which,  even  in  the 
calmest  day,  it  is  impossible  to  ascend.  Dunlap,  one 
of  the  survivors,  declared,  that  about  half  past  ten,  as 
nearly  as  he  could  conjecture,  one  of  the  men  who  had 
been  below,  came  to  him  on  the  fore***'  lie,  and  told 
him  it  was  all  over.  A  few  minutes  afterwards  the  ship 
took  a  lurch,  like  a  boat  nearly  filled  with  water  and 
going  down;  on  which  Dunlap  immediately  began  to 
ascend  the  fore-shrouds,  and  at  the  same  moment  cast- 
ing his  eyes  towards  the  quarter  deck,  he  saw  Captain 
Barker  standing  by  the  gangway,  and  looking  into  the 
water,  and  directly  afterwards  he  heard  him  call  for  the 
jolly-boat.  He  then  saw  the  lieutenant  of  marines  run- 
ning towards  the  taffrel,  to  look,  as  he  supposed,  for 
the  jolly-boat,  which  had  been  previously  let  down  with 
men  in  her  ;  but  the  ship  instantly  took  a  second  lurch 
and  sunk  to  the  bottom,  after  which  neither  the  captain 
nor  any  of  the  others  officers  were  again  seen. 

The  scene,  before  sufficiently  distressing,  ROW  became 
peculiarly  awful.  More  than  240  men,  besides  several 
women  and  children,  were  floating  on  the  waves,  mak- 
ing the  last  effort  to  preserve  life.  Dunlap,  who  has 
been  already  mentioned,  gained  the  fore- top.  Mr.  Gal- 
vin,  the  master's  mate,  with  incredible  difficulty,  got 
into  the  main  top.  He  was  below  when  the  ship  sunk, 
directing  the  men  at  the  chain-pump,  but  was  washed 


.-04  LOSS    OF   THE    LA   TRIBUTE. 

up  the  hatchway,  thrown  into  the  waist,  and  from  thence 
into  the  water,  and  his  feet,  as  he  plunged,  struck 
against  a  rock.  On  ascending  he  swam  to  gain  the 
main-shrouds,  when  three  men  suddenly  seized  hold  of 
him.  He  now  gave  himself  up  for  lost ;  but  to  disen- 
gage himself  from  them  he  made  a  dive  into  the  water, 
which  caused  them  to  quit  their  grasp.  On  rising  again 
he  swam  to  the  shrouds,  and  having  reached  the  main 
top,  seated  himself  on  an  arm  chest  which  was  lashed  to 
the  mast. 

From  the  observations  of  Galvin  in  the  main  top,  and 
Dunlap  in  the  fore-top,  it  appears  that  nearly  one  hun- 
dred persons  were  hanging  a  considerable  time  to  the 
shrouds,  the  tops,  and  other  parts  of  the  wreck.  From 
the  length  of  the  night,  and  the  seventy  of  the  storm, 
nature,  however,  became  exhausted,  and  during  the 
whole  night  they  kept  dropping  off  and  disappearing* 
The  cries  and  groans  of  the  unhappy  sufferers,  from 
t-he  bruises  many  of  them  had  received,  and  their  hopes 
of  deliverance*  beginning  to  fail,  were  continued  through 
the  night ;  but  as  morning  approached,  in  consequence 
of  the  few  who  then  survived,  they  became  extremely 
feeble. 

About  twelve  o'clock  the  main  mast  gave  way ;  at 
(hat  time  there  were  on  the  main-top  and  shrouds  about 
forty  persons.  By  the  fall  of  the  mast  the  whole  of 
these  unhappy  wretches  were  again  plunged  into  the  wa- 
ter, and  ten  only  regained  the  top,  which  rested  <m  ihe 
main  yard,  and  the  whole  remained  fast  to  the  ship  by 
some  of  the  rigging.  Of  the  ten  who  thus  reached  the 
top,  four  only  were  alive  when  morning  appeared  Ten 
were  at  that  time  alive  on  the  fore-top,  but  three  were  so 
exhausted,  and  so  helpless,  that  they  were  washed 
away  '.••  e  any  relief  arrived  ;  three  others  perished, 
and  thus  only  four  were,  at  last,  left  alive  on  the 
fore- top. 

T;ie  place  where  the  ship  went  down  was  barely 
thrf ;  times  her  length  to  the  southward  of  the  entrance 
into  Herring  Cove.  The  inhabitants  came  down  in  the 
night  to  the  point  opposite  to  which  the  ship  sunk,  kept 


LOBS    OF   THE    LA   TRIBUTE.  305 

up  large  fires,  and  were  so  near  as  to  converse  with  the 
people  on  the  wreck. 

The  first  exertion  that  was  made  for  their  relief  was 
by  a  boy  thirteen  years  old,  from  Herring  Cove,  who 
ventured  off  in  a  small  skiff  by  himself  about  eleven 
o'clock  the  next  day.  This  youth,  with  great  labor  and 
extreme  risk  to  himself,  boldly  approached  the  wreck, 
aad  backed  in  his  litttle  boat  so  near  to  the  fore-top  as 
to  take  off  two  of  the  men,  for  the  boat  could  riot  with 
safety  hold  any  more.  And  here  a  trait  of  generous 
magnanimity  was  exhibited,  which  ought  not  to  pass 
unnoticed.  Dunlap  and  another  man,  named  Monro, 
had,  throughout  this  disastrous  night,  preserved  their 
strength  and  spirits  in  a  greater  degree  than  their  unfor- 
tunate companions,  whom  they  endeavored  to  cheer 
and  encourage  when  they  found  their  spirits  sinking. 
Upon  the  arrival  of  the  boat  these  two  might  have  step- 
ped into  it,  and  thus  have  terminated  th sir  own  suiier- 
in^s  ;  for  their  two  companions,  though  alive, .were 
unable  to  stir  ;  they  lay  exhausted  on  the  top,  wishing 
not  to  be  disturbed,  and  seemed  desirous  to  perish  in 
that  situation.  These  generous  fellows  hesitated  not  a 
moment  to  remain  themselves  on  the  wreck,  and  to 
save  their  unfortunate  companions  against  their  will. 
They  lifted  them  up,  and.  with  the  greatest  exertion 
placed  them  in  the  little  skiff;  the  manly  boy  rowed 
them  triumphantly  to  the  Cove,  and  immediately  had 
them  conveyed  to  a  comfortable  habitation.  After  sham- 
ing, by  his  example,  older  persons,  who  had  larger 
boats,  he  again  put  off  with  his  skiff,  but  with  all  his 
efforts  he  could  not  then  approach  the  wreck.  His  ex- 
ample, however,  was  soon  followed  by  four  of  the 
erew  who  had  escaped  in  the  Tribune's  jolly-boat,  and 
by  some  of  the  boats  in  the  Cove.  With  their  joint  ex- 
ertions the  eight  men  were  preserved,  and  these,  with 
the  four  who  had  saved  themselves  in  the  jolly-boat, 
were  the  whole  of  the  survivors  of  this  fine  ship's  com- 
pany. 

A  circumstance  occurred,  in  which  that  cool  thought- 
lessness of  danger,  which  so  often  distinguishes  the 
British  tars,  was  displayed  in  such  a  striking  manner, 


306  LOSS   OF  THE    LA  TRIBUNE, 

that  it  would  be  inexcusable  to  omit  it.  Daniel  Monro, 
as  we  have  already  seen,  had  gained  the  fore-top.  He 
suddenly  disappeared,  and  it  was  concluded  he  had 
been  washed  away  like  many  others.  After  being  ab- 
sent from  the  top  about  two  hours,  he,  to  the  surprise 
of  Dunlap,  who  was  likewise  on  the  fore-top,  raised  his 
head  through  the  lubber-hole.  Dunlap  inquiring  where 
he  had  been,  he  told  him  he  had  been  cruizing  for  a 
better  birth  ;  that  after  swimming  about  the  wreck  a 
considerable  time,  he  had  returned  to  the  fore-shrouds, 
and  crawling  in  on  the  cat-harpins,  had  actually  been 
sleeping  there  more  than  an  hour,  and  appeared  greatly 
refreshed. 


307 


THE    SHIPWRECK  OF 

CAPTAIN  GEORGE  ROBERTS, 

In  his  Passage  from  Virginia  to  the  coast  of  Guinea, 
in  the  Year  1721. 


I  UMEROUS  are  the  disasters  to  which  mari- 
ners are  exposed,  and  the  fortitude  with  which  many  of 
them  have  undergone  the  most  mournful  reverses  of 
fortune,  teaches  an  useful  lesson  of  patience  or  resig- 
nation, and  shews  what  man  is  capable  of  acting  or  suf- 
fering. 

Captain  Roberts,  who  had  been  bred  to  the  sea,  in 
the  year  172i  entered  into  a  contract  with  several  mer- 
chants of  London,  to  sail  to  Virginia,  and  there  to  load 
with  a  cargo  for  the  Guinea  trade.  Having  purchased 
slaves  to  the  amount  of  his  investments,  he  was  to  pro- 
ceed with  them  either  to  Barbadoes  or  Virginia,  as  he 
found  most  likely  to  be  conducive  to  the  interest  of  his 
employers ;  and  having  disposed  of  his  live  freight,  he 
was  to  load  with  the  produce  of  the  country,  for  the 
London  market.  This  was  a  complex  and  tedious  en- 
terprise, and  fortune  forbade  that  it  should  be  more  than 
partially  accomplished.  Captain  Roberts  indeed  reached 
Virginia,  and  purchased  a  sloop  and  suitable  cargo,  with 
which  he  steered  towards  the  Cape  de  Verd  Islands  ;  but 
here  calamities  and  distress  overtook  him. 

Near  St.  Nichols,  one  of  those  islands,  he  fell  into  the 
hands  of  pirates,  who  finding  him  a  man  of  spirit  and 
intrepidity,  anxiously  strove  to  unite  him  in  the  same 
nefarious  confederacy.  These  attempts  he  steadily  re- 


308  SHIPWRECK    OF 

sisted ;  but  his  unhappy  situation  rendered  it  necessary 
to  conform  more  than  he  seems  to  have  done  with  their 
humors  and  prejudices.  One  of  the  commanders 
among  the  pirates  treated  him  with  much  indulgence, 
probably  from  a  wish  to  draw  him  into  his  lure.  By  the 
interest  of  this  person  he  was  to  be  allowed  to  go  on 
board  his  own  ship,  and  to  be  supplied  with  some  ne- 
cessaries ;  but,  unfortunately  refusing  to  drink  the  Pre- 
tender's health,  which  surely  must  have  been  a  very 
venial  offence,  circumstanced  as  he  was,  one  of  the 
piratical  captains  threatened  to  shoot  him  through  the 
head ;  and  after  having  insulted  him  in  the  most  inhu- 
man manner,  barbarously  forced  him  on  board  his  own 
vessel  at  midnight,  without  provisions,  water,  or  sails, 
and  with  only  two  boys  to  assist  in  the  navigation,  one 
of  whom  was  not  more  than  eight  years  of  age.  He 
was  not  even  allowed  a  light,  and  his  ship  being  leaky, 
darkness  was  doubly  horrible 

That  men  of  the  most  abandoned  characters  should  so 
far  forget  what  humanity  is  due  to  their  fellow  men,  as 
to  expose  any  one  to  almost  certain  destruction,  merely 
on  account  of  a  foolish  toast,  may  excite  the  astonish- 
ment of  the  reflecting;  nor,  perhaps,  shall  we  wonder 
much  less  at  the  romantic  resolution  of  Captain  Roberts, 
who  braved  death  rather  than  submit  to  an  insignificant 
form.  Sullen  obstinacy  is  sometimes  dignified  with  the 
title  of  heroic  constancy,  and  many  have  been  esteem- 
ed martyrs  in  a  good  cause,  who  only  fell  sacrifices  to 
their  own  perverse  disposition?,  or  unsubmitting  tempers. 
We  wish  to  establish  the  distinction  between  essentials 
and  forms ;  between  voluntary  and  compulsive  deeds. 
No  external  compliances  can  change  the  mind  :  Religion 
and  Loyalty,  enthroned  in  the  heart,  may  defy  the  ma- 
lice of  man. 

Thus  abandoned  to  his  fate,  and  with  a  mind  composed 
and  resigned,  Captain  Roberts  first  set  about  pumping 
fcis  vessel,  by  the  assistance  of  the  elder  boy.  Having 
pretty  well  gained  on  the  water,  day-light  appeared,  when 
he  saw  the  full  extent  of  his  miserable  situation.  The 
unfeeling  wretches  who  turned  him  adrift,  bad  left  him 
scarcely  acy  thing  to  support  life.  On  rummaging  the 


CA*TAHS   ROBERTS.  SO 9 

vessel,  he  found  only  a  few  crumbs  of  bread,  ten  gallons 
of  rum,  a  little  rice,  and  some  flour,  with  two  gallons  of 
water. 

With  much  labor  he  patched  up  a  kind  of  sail  in  three 
days  time,  during  which  space  himself  and  his  two  youth- 
ful companions  fed  on  raw  flour  and  rice,  drinking  noth- 
ing but  rum.  But  the  heat  of  the  climate  and  the  fa- 
tigues to  which  they  were  exposed,  rendering  this  kind 
of  food  unwholesome,  they  made  cakes  of  dough  with 
the  little  water  they  had  left ;  but  this  operation  exhaust* 
ing  their  stock,  they  soon  felt  the  extremes  of  drought, 
which  spirits  could  not  assuage. 

Providence  now  favored  them  with  a  plentiful  shower 
€f  rain,  with  which  they  quenched  their  thirst,  and  saved 
about  a  gallon  over. 

Small  as  their  stock  of  provisions  was,  they  husband- 
eel  it  with  so  much  care,  that  with  the  addition  of  a  shark 
which  they  caught,  it  lasted  them  for  three  weeks. 
When  famine  began  to  stare  tbern  in  the  face,  they  had 
the  £ood  fortune  to  discover  the  Isle  of  St.  Anthony  ; 
but  before  they  could  reach  the  landing-place,  darkness 
set  in,  and  they  determined  to  wait  in  anxious  expecta- 
tion of  the  day.  Thirst,  however,  was  so  pressing,  that 
the  elder  boy  solicited  permission  to  go  on  shore  for  a 
titue  water  in  a  simH  boat,  and  to  return  directly. 

No  sooner  was  he  gone,  than  Captain  Roberts,  worrt 
out  with  fatigue,  was  taken  ill,  and  retiring  to  his  cabin, 
insensibly  dropped  asleep.  At  midnight  he  waked,  and 
running  CM  deck,  to  his  extreme  distress,  found  the  ship 
almost  out.  of  sight  of  land.  Astonished  and  afflicted  at 
this  misfortune,  he  began  to  lose  all  hopes  of  recovering 
the  shore  without  the  assistance  of  his  companion  ;  and 
to  aggravate  his  misery,  the  ship  was  making  water  very 
fast,  and  the  anchor  was  out,  wkieh  he  had  not  strength 
to  haul  up. 

The  danger  of  sinking  being  most  imminent,  he  ap- 
plied himself  to  the  pump,  and  in  a  few  hours  sucked  it 
dry.  His  next  labor  was  to  heave  the  anchor  on  board  ; 
and  in  this,  too,  he  succeeded  beyond  his  first  hopes. 
Parched  with  thirst,  and  without  a  drop  of  miter,  he 
now  endeavored  to  regaia  the  island^  and  at  last  cast  vfr 
thor  in  a  sandy  bay. 


310  SHIPWRECK    OF 

The  same  evening  some  negroes  came  to  bis  assistance 
bringing  with  them  a  very  seasonable  supply  of  water. 
This  raised  his  drooping  spirits  ;  and  by  the  help  of  these 
poor  people,  who  had  been  engaged  by  the  boy  on  shore, 
he  attempted  to  steer  the  ship  into  the  port  of  Parraghesi. 
In  the  night,  the  main-sail  split,  which  so  daunted  the 
negroes,  that,  they  instantly  took  to  their  boat,  leaving 
Mr.  Roberts  in  a  more  forlorn  situation  than  ever. 

Next  day,  while  he  was, exerting  himself  to  steer  the 
vessel  to  land,  he  heard  the  voices  of  some  people  iu 
the  hold,  and  found  three  of  the  negroes,  who  had  been 
left  dead  drunk  by  their  companions,  from  applying  them- 
selves too  freely  to  the  rurn,  and  were  now  just  recover- 
ing their  senses.  These  people  giving  themselves  up  for 
lost,  when  they  discovered  their  situation,  at  first  would 
lend  him  no  assistance  ;  but  on  a  little  reflection,  and 
finding  they  were  near  St.  John's,  they  began  to  labor 
for  their  preservation.  One  of  them  pretended  to  know 
the  harbor ;  but  when  he  approached  the  shore,  he  was 
utterly  at  a  loss,  arid  insisted  on  running  the  vessel  on 
the  rocks. 

In  this  dilemma  Captain  Roberts  threatened  to  despatch 
the  first  person  who  should  attempt  this  desperate  deed, 
on  which  the  pretended  pilot  leaped  overboard  and  swam 
to  land.  Soon  after  the  Captain  hauled  in  so  close  to 
Punto  de  Sal,  that  he  could  almost  leap  on  shore,  and  in 
this  situation  the  other  negroes  left  him. 

That  night  several  of  the  natives  made  their  appear- 
ance on  the  rocks,  and  next  morning  swam  to  the  ship, 
congratulated  Captain  Roberts  on  his  arrival,  and  offered 
him  any  assistance  in  their  power,  if  he  would  go  on 
shore.  Unfortunately  he  could  not  swim,  and  for  the 
present  was  obliged  to  remain  on  board  :  but  the  natives 
made  his  situation  more  comfortable,  by  bringing  him 
fish  and  other  provisions. 

The  succeeding  day  the  weather  looked  threatening, 
and  Mr.  Roberts  was  justly  afraid  of  being  driven  out  to 
sea.  The  negroes  kindty  interested  themselves  in  his 
preservation,  and  after  trying  in  vain  to  fasten  a  rope  to 
the  rocks,  offered  to  swim  with  him  and  his  boy  to  land. 
Unwilling;  however,  to  quit  the  ship  while  a  hope  re- 


CAPTAIN   ROBERTS,  311 

mained  of  saving  her,  he  resolved  to  persevere;  but  the 
next  day,  in  spite  of  all  his  efforts,  the  storm  drove  her 
on  the  rocks,  which  pierced  her  bottom.  The  water 
now  rising  rapidly,  the  affrighted  negroes  left  him  ;  but 
as  soon  as  the  storm  abated,  they  returned  and  swam 
off  with  the  boy.  The  Captain  now  consented  to  leave 
the  vessel,  when  two  of  them  taking  him  by  the  arms, 
bid  him  be  of  good  courage,  for  St.  Anthony  would  pro- 
tect him.  However,  they  had  not  proceeded  half  way, 
when  a  surge  parted  one  of  his  assistants,  and  had  not  a 
third  instantly  supplied  his  place,  this  unhappy  man  must 
have  been  lost.  At  last  he  reached  the  land,  and  soon 
saw  his  vessel  part  asunder,  while  the  natives  employed 
themselves  in  swimming  backwards  and  forwards  to  the 
wreck,  to  save  what  articles  they  could. 

Thus  was  the  captain  hapily  rescued  from  a  boisterous 
sea,  and  the  attentions  of  the  natives  were  exerted  to 
dissipate  all  reflections  on  his  still  distressful  situation. 
They  made  a  fire  to  warm  him  and  diy  his  clothes, 
and  expressed  their  admiration  of  his  fortitude  and  per- 
severance. 

The  governor,  too,  hearing  of  his  misfortune,  sent 
the  most  humane  offers  of  assistance  ;  and  he  was  now 
well  supplied  with  milk  and  fruit.  But  with  all  the  alle- 
viations of  humanity,  not  only  the  perils  he  had  just 
escaped,  but  his  present  situation  filled  him  with  awe  and 
apprehension.  He  was  now  fixed  on  a  shelf  of  rocks,  un- 
der the  covert  of  others  which  impended  over  his  head. 
These  rose  to  an  amazing  height ;  and  it  was  not  with- 
out great  danger  that  the  friendly  natives  descended  such 
frightful  precipices  to  his  assistance,  which  it  was  impos- 
sible for  him  to  climb ;  and  as  he  could  not  swim,  as 
they  did,  to  a  landing-place,  his  immediate  prospects 
were  those  only  of  prolonged  misery. 

In  this  place  Mr  Roberts  and  his  boy  had  continued 
for  several  days,  still  visited  by  the  natives,  who  exert- 
ed themselves  with  increasing  benevolence  to  relieve 
him.  Among  those  who  now  came  off  to  him,  was  a 
man.  who,  to  his  surprise,  addressed  him  in  English.  On 
inquiry  what  could  bring  him  here,  he  said  his  name 
was  Franklin,  that  he  was  a  aative  of  Wales,  and  after 


SIS  SHIPWRECK   OP 

having  been  some  time  detained  by  pirates,  had  found 
means  to  escape  and  to  reach  this  island. 

The  conversation  of  Franklin  gave  Captain  Roberts 
much  consolation  ;  and  he  indulged  the  hopes  of  having 
the  only  boat  belonging  to  the  island  sent  round  to  take 
him  off ;  but  as  it  did  not  arrive  at  the  expected  time, 
he  became  impatient,  and  resolved  to  attempt  to  climb 
the  rocks,  by  the  assistance  of  the  friendly  natives. 

With  extreme  difficulty  he  ascended  half-way  up  the 
first  rock,  some  hundred  feet,  when  looking  down,  his 
head  grew  giddy  with  the  horrid  vi«w,  and,  had  he  not 
been  supported,  he  must  have  been  dashed  to  pieces, 
by  falling  to  the  bottom.  At  last  he  reached  the  first 
landing  place  :  from  thence  he  proceeded  about  three 
quarters  of  a  mile  in  a  narrow  path,  open  towards  the 
sea,  and  sometimes  found  it  so  contracted  as  barely  to 
allow  him  footing.  His  guides,  however,  assisted  him 
with  poles  over  the  most  difficulty  places ;  but  at  last 
they  came  to  an  ascent  almost  perpendicular,  when  two 
of  the  negroes  striking  a  crag,  to  try  if  it  was  fixed,  a 
huge  fragment  tumbled  over  them,  and  from  the  noise 
it  raised,  Roberts  expected  that  the  cliffs  above  would 
instantly  fall  upon  them,  and  involve  them  in  undistin- 
guished ruin. 

When  this  alarm  was  over,  they  concerted  measures 
for  farther  operations ;  and  finding  it  impossible  for  Rob- 
erts to  climb  the  remaining  space,  his  guides  descended 
.with  him  in  an  oblique  direction,  to  the  bottom,  with- 
out any  accident.  The  fatigue  he  had  undergone  threw 
him  into  a  fever,  which  lasted  near  a  month  ;  but  still 
he  had  the  happiness  to  experience  the  unwearied  assi- 
duities of  the  natives  ;  and  on  his  recovery  found  the 
boat  ready  to  receive  him,  when  he  departed  and  safely 
reached  the  harbor. 

Unable  to  walk  or  support  himself,  he  was  fastened 
upon  the  governor's  horse,  and  in  that  state  conducted 
to  his  house.  This  gentleman,  in  a  manner  honorable 
to  his  feelings,  sympathized  with  Captain  Robert's  dis- 
tresses, and  after  some  time,  he  was  invited  to  take  up 
his  residence  with  the  son  of  a  former  governor,  whf 
received  him  with  the  pleasure  of  a  friend.  Mea^ 


CAPTAIN   ROBERTS.  313 

ilie  natives  continued  their  attentions,  and  daily  supplied 
him  with  various  presents.  As  soon  as  Roberts  was 
able  to  wralk  abroad,  he  returned  the  visits  of  those 
kind  people,  and  amused  himself  in  joining  their  hunt- 
ing parties.  That  the  breed  of  wild  goats  may  not  be 
destroyed,  no  one  is  allowed  to  hunt  without  the  govern- 
or's consent,  and  this  is  one  of  the  principal  privileges 
he  enjoys. 

With  the  mildest  disposition  and  most  benevolent  in- 
tentions, the  natives  appeared  to  be  the  most  ignorant 
and  superstitious.  They  had  a  negro  priest  who  officiated 
among  them,  but  his  learning  and  understanding  were 
nearly  on  a  level  with  those  of  his  flock. 

St.  John's  island,  where  Captain  Roberts  landed,  is 
situated  in  1 5  deg.  25  mm.  north  latitude,  and  is  very 
high  and  rocky.  It  produces  amazing  quantities  of  salt- 
petre in  several  natural  caverns,  where  it  hangs  like 
icicles,  or  forms  a  crust  like  hoar  frost. 

By  the  favor  of  the  governor,  Captain  Roberts  set 
about  building  a  boat  to  carry  him  thence,  and  having 
saved  several  of  the  materials  from  the  vessel  which 
was  wrecked,  the  business  was  carried  on  with  spirit. 
The  idea  of  visiting  his  native  land,  inspired  Roberts 
with  resolution  to  persevere  in  this  arduous  undertaking, 
and  his  operations  were  well  seconded  by  the  friendship 
and  attachment  of  the  islanders.  It  is  impossible  to  do 
adequate  justice  to  their  general  conduct  and  zealous 
good  services  in  favor  of  the  English  ;  and  though  ship- 
wreck, ki  such  a  situation,  where  he  was  cut  oft"  from  all 
hopes  oJ"  deliverance,  except  by  his  own  endeavors, 
must  have  been  painful  enough  ^  yet  it  appears  that  be 
could  not  have  been  more  fortunate  than  in  falliiig  into 
the  hands  of  such  a  gentle  race  of  men. 

The  -boat  being  completed  in  the  best  manner  that  cir- 
cumstances would  allow  of,  and  supplied  with  an  ade- 
quate stock  of  provisions,  Captain  Roberts  devoted  a 
few  days  to  make  his  thankful  acknowledgments  to  the 
natives,  who  desired  no  other  reward  but  his  favorable 
report  of  them  to  his  countrymen  4  and  haying  taken  his 
leave,  he  embarked,  with  his  boy,  two  negro  mariners, 
«ho  belonged  to  St.  Nicholas,  and  three  of  these  islon- 
Cc 


Si 4  SHIPWRECK   Off 

ders  ;  Franklin  choosing  t^  remain  *  in  his  present  situa- 
tion. 

The  evening  after  they  sailed,  they  came  to  St.  Phil* 
lips,  and  landing  next  morning  were  courteously  receiv- 
ed. Here  they  fell  in  with  a  person  who  had  the  title  of 
Proanador  of  St.  Johns,  and  who  wanted  to  go  to  that 
island.  The  boat  being  found  inconvenient  for  a  voyage 
of  any  length,  this  gentleman  proposed  to  Captain  Rob- 
erts to  return  with  him  to  St.  Johns,  and  to  carry  with 
him  some  artificers,  who  would  soon  equip  his  little  ves- 
sel in  a  more  commodious  manner.  This  offer  was  very 
grateful,  and  as  several  other  persons  wished  to  visit  that 
island,  Captain  Roberts  accommodated  them  with  a  pas- 
sage, for  which  he  received  an  adequate  recompense. 

The  same  ^lay  that  they  weighed  from  St.  Phillips 
they  reached  St.  Johns,  to  the  great  satisfaction  of  all 
the  passengers  and  crew,  some  of  whom  being  unac- 
customed to  nautical  expeditions,  plumed  themselves 
not  a  little  on  the  voyage  they  had  macfe. 

The  natives  shewed  our  countrymen  the  same  humane 
and  friendly  attention  as  before;  and  by  the  assistance 
of  the  carpenters  they  had  brought  from  St.  Phillips,  the 
boat  was  much  improved  and  better  adopted  for  any  na* 
vigation. 

Having  carried  back  the  artificers,  Captain  Roberts 
sailed  for  St.  Jago,  and  continued  trading  for  some  time 
among  the  different  islands,  carrying  provisions  to  Mayo, 
and  loading  back  with  salt ;  till  at  length,  being  at  St. 
Nicholas,  his  boat  was  staved  to  pieces  on  the  rocks, 
while  himself  and  crew  were  on  shore.  The  inhabitants, 
however,  as  at  St.  Johns,  gave  him  the  most  convincing 
proofs  of  their  beneficence,  and  purchased  the  fragments 
of  his  boat  for  twelve  dollars. 

Once  more  reduced  to  the  necessity  of  attempting 
some  new  expedient,  or  of  remaining  where  he  was, 
the  prospects  of  our  author  began  to  brighten  before  he 
could  come  to  any  resolution  of  his  own.  An  English 
vessel  arrived,  commanded  by  Captain  Harfoot,  who 
intended  to  trade  among  those  islands  for  clothes,  and 
then  to  proceed  to  Barbadoes.  This  officer  finding  Cap- 
tain Roberts  likely  to  promote  the  objects  of  commerce 


CAPTAIN   ROBOTS, 

he  had  in  view,  made  overtures  to  him  for  entering  Into 
the  scheme ;  a  proposal  which  was  gladly  accepted  by 
the  Captain. 

They  visited  Bona  Vista,  Mayo,  and  St.  Jago.  Inr 
the  harbor  of  Port  Praya,  in  the  latter  island,  they  found 
an  English  ship  from  Guinea,  freighted  by  the  Portuguese 
merchants.  She  had  lost  the  greatest  part  of  her  crew, 
and  having  a  voyage  still  to  perform,  her  captain  was 
anxious  to  engage  the  services  of  Roberts  ;  and  the 
hope  of  finding  his  way  to  England  much  earlier  thahhe 
could  otherwise  have  done,  prevailed  on  him  to  detach 
himself  ftom  Captain  Harfoot,  and  to  embrace  the  pres- 
ent offer. 

Having  embarked  in  this  ship,  they  had  scarcely  left 
St.  Jago,  when  the  most  dangerous  leaks  were  discover- 
ed, and  as  the  trade  winds  would  not  permit  them  to  re- 
turn to  the  Cape  de  Verd  Islands,  they  had  no  alterna- 
tive but  to  bear  away  for  Barbadoes,  which  island  they 
reached  en  Christmas-day,  1724. 

At  this  place  the  ship  was  completely  repaired,  and' 
after  a  stay  of  three  months  in  that  island,  they  agate'  di- 
rected their  course  to  Lisbon,  where  Captain  Roberts 
eagerly  seized  the  first  opportunity  of  obtaining  a  passage 
to  London,  which  he  reached  in  June,  1725,  after  art 
uniform  series  of  distresses  and  disappointments,  during 
a  period  of  four  years. 

Our  author  gives  a  general  description  of  the  Cape  det 
Verd  Islands,  which  might  probably  have  contained 
some  novelty  at  the  period  he  wrote,  but  at  this  time  it 
could  afford  little  amusement  to  our  readers. 

Captain  Roberts  appears  to  have  been  a  man  of  forti- 
tude and  probity ;  but  he  is  no  farther  known  than  as  he 
delineates  himself  in  the  unfortunate  adventures 
which  we  have  compiled  this  account. 


31 S 


NARRATIVE    OF   THE    LOSS    OF   THlB 

EARL  OF  ABERGAVENNY,  EAST-INDIAMAN, 

Captain  John  Wadsnorth,  which  drove  on  the  Shambles, 
tlie  Bill  of  Portland,  and  sunk  in  twelve 
fathoms  water,  February  5,  1805. 


Ti 


.  HE  universal  concern  occasioned  by  the  recent 
loss  of  the  Eapl  of  Abergavenny,  has  induced  us  to  lay 
before  our  readers  an  accurate  statement  of  this  imlan- 
choJy  disaster,  chiefly  collected  from  the  accounts  which 
Were  given  at  the  India-House,  by  Cornet  Burgoyne,  of 
liis  majesty's  8th  regiment  of  light  dragoons,  who  had 
the  command  of  the  troops  on  board  the  above  vessel, 
and  by  the  fourth  officer  of  the  ship,  (who  were  among 
(he  few  who  fortunately  escaped  from  the  wreck.)  and 
from  the  best  information  afterwards  received. 

On  Friday,  February  the  1st,  the  Earl  of  Abergaven- 
ny, East  Indiaman,  Captain  Wadsworth,  sailed  from 
Portsmouth,  in  company  with  the  Royal  George.  Henry 
Addington,  Wexford,  and  Bombay  Castle,  under  con- 
voy of  his  Majesty's  ship  Weymouth,  Captain  Draper. 

The  Earl  of  Abergavenny  was  engaged  in  the  compa- 
ny service  for  six  voyages,  and  this  was  the  fourth  on 
which  she  was  proceeding. 
Her  company  consisted  of 

Seamen,  &c.  160 

Troops.  King's  and  Company's       -  159 

P   isengers  at  the  Captain's  table1  40 

.    Ditto,  at  the  Third  Mate's  1 1 

C-imese         -  -     32 

Total  402 


JbOftS    O»   THE  ABERGAVENNY.  317 

In  going  through  the  Needles,  they  unfortunately  sepa- 
rated from  the  convoy.  The  fleet,  in  consequence,  lay 
to  nearly  the  whole  of  the  next  day  ;  but  seeing  nothing 
of  the  Weymouth,  proceeded  under  moderate  sail  to- 
wards the  next  port,  in  hopes  of  being  joined  by  the 
convoy.  On  the  5th,  4he  convoy  not  appearing,  it  was 
deemed  expedient  to  wait  her  arrival  in  Portland  Roads, 
particularly  as  the  wind  had  become  rather  unfavorable, 
having  shifted  several  points  from  the  N.  E.  Captain 
Clarke,  of  the  Wexford,  being  senior  commander,  and 
consequently  commodore,  made  the  signal  for  those 
ships  that  had  taken  Pilots  on  board^  to  rim  into  the 
Roads.  / 

The  Earl  of  Abergavenny  having  at  about  half  pasfc 
three,  P.  M.  got  a  pilot  on  Board,  bore  up  for  Portland 
Roads  with  a  steady  wind,  when  on  a  sudden  the  wind 
slackened,  and  the  tide  setting  in  fast,  drove  her  rapidly 
on  the  Shambles.  The  nearer  she  approached,  the  less 
she  was,  under  management ;  and  being  at  last  totally 
ungovernable,  was  driven  furiously  on  th«  rocks,  off 
the  Bill  of  Portland,  about  two  miles  from  the  shore. 
She  remained  on  the  rocks  nearly  an  hour,  beating  in- 
cessantly with  great  violence,  the  shocks  being  so  great, 
that  the  officers  and  men  could  scarcely  keep  their  foot- 
ing on  the  deck.  At  4,  P.  M.  the  shocks  became  less 
violent,  and  in  about  a  quarter  of  an  hour  she  cleared 
the  rocks.  The  sails  were  immediately  set,  with  an  in- 
tention to  run  for  the  first  port,  as  the  ship  made  much 
water  ;  but  the  leak  increased  so  fast  that  the  ship  would 
aot  obey  the  helm.  In  this  situation,  it  was  considered 
accessary  to  fire  signal  guns  of  distress.  Twenty  were 
fired :  the  danger  did  not,  however,  appear  to  those  on 
board  sufficient  to  render  it  necessary  for  the  ships  boats 
to  be  hoisted  out  at  this  moment,  as  the  weather  was 
moderate,  and  the  ship  in  si^itof  the  fleet  and  shore. 

The  leak  increased  fast  upon  the  pumps  at  five,  P.  M, 
Soon  after  striking,  the  hand  pumps  started  above  six 
inches,  and  shortly  after  the  water  increased  from  six  to 
eight  feet  in  spite  of  every  exertion  at  the  pumps.  All 
endeavors  to  keep  the  water  under  were  found  in  vain, 
&ad  night  setting  in  rendered  the  situation  of  all  on 
C  c2 


318  LOSS    OP   THE   ABERG.1VENNY* 

board  melancholy  in  the  extreme  :  the  more  *$o,  aa  it 
was  then  ascertained  that  the  ship  had  received  consider-^ 
able  damage  in  her  bottom,  immediately  under  the 
pumps.  All  hands  took  their  turn  at  the  pumps,  alter- 
nately baling  at  the  fore  hatchway.  At  eight  o'clock 
their  situation  became  still  more  dreadful,  when  it  was. 
found  impossible  to  save  the  ship,  which  was  eventually 
sinking  fast,  and  settling  into  the  water.  Signal  guns 
were  again  discharged  incessantly.  The  purser,  with 
the  third  officer,  Mr.  Wadsworth,  and  six  seamen,  were 
sent  on  shore,  in  one  of  the  ship's  boats,  to  give  notice 
to  the  inhabitants  of  the  distressed  state  of  the  ship  and 
crew.  At  this  time  a  pilot  boat  came  off,  and  Mr.  Evans, 
with  his  daughter,  Mr.  Routledge,  Mr.  Taylor,  a  cadet, 
and  Miss  Jackson,  passengers,  embarked  for  the  shore, 
notwithstanding  a  dreadful  sea,  which  threatened  them 
with  almost  instant  loss. 

For  a  few  moments  the  general  attention  of  the  crew 
was  diverted  in  observing  the  boats  leave  the  ship  ;  but 
these  unfortunate  people  were  soon  reminded  of  their 
own  approaching  fate,  by  a  heavy  swell,  which  baffled 
almost  every  attempt  to  keep  the  ship  above  water. 
Every  one  seemed  assured  of  his  fate,  and  notwithstand- 
ing the  unremitting  attention  of  the  officers,  confusion 
commenced  on  board,  as  soon  as  it  was  given  out  that 
the  ship  was  sinking.  At  10,  P.  M.  several  sailors  intreat- 
ed  to  be  allowed  more  liquor,  which  being  refused,  they 
attacked  the  spirit- room,  but  were  repulsed  by  the  offi- 
cers, who  never  once  lost  sight  of  their  character,  or 
that  dignity  so  necessary  to  be  preserved  on  such  an 
occasion,  but  continued  to  conduct  themselves'with  the 
utmost  fortitude  till  the  last.  One  of  the  officers,  who 
was  stationed  at  the  door  of  the  spirit-room,  with  a  brace 
of  pistols  to  guard  against  surprise  in  so  critical  a  mo- 
ment, at  which  post  he  remained  even ,  while  the  ship 
was  sinking,  was  much  importuned  by  a  sailor,  while 
the  water  poured  in  on  all  sides,  to  grant  him  some 
liquor.  The  man  said  he  was  convinced  "  it  would  be 
all  one  with  them  in  an  hour  hence."  The  officer,  how- 
ever, true  to  his  trust  in  this  perilous  moment,  had 
enough  tQ  repulse  tjie  man4  and  bid  him  go  to 


LOSS   OF  THE  ABERGAVENNY.  319 

his  duty'with  his  fellow  comrades,  observing,  "  that  if  it 
was  God's  will  they  should  perish,  they  should  die  like 
men." 

At  half  past  ten  the  water  had  got  above  the  orlop- 
deck,  in  spite  of  the  endeavors  of  the  officers  and  cre\¥ 
who  behaved  in  the  most  cool  and  exemplary  manner, 
All  on  board  were  now  anxiously  looking  out  for  boats 
from  the  shore,  many  wishing  they  had  taken  refuge  in 
those  that  had  already  left  the  ship,  as  their  destruction 
on  board  appeared  inevitable.  The  utmost  exertions 
became  necessaiy  to  keep  the  ship  above  water  till  the 
boats  came  off  from  the  shore.  Unfortunately  in  the 
general  distress  and  agony  of  the  moment,  the  ship's 
boats  were  not  hoisted  out,  when  every  soul  on  board 
might  possibly  have  been  saved.  At  eleven  o'clock,  a 
fatal  swell  gave  the  ship  a  sudden  shock  :  she  gave  a 
surge,  and  sunk  almost  instantaneously,  two  miles  from 
Weymoutli  beach ;  with  scarce  five  minutes  warning, 
she  went  down  by  the  head  in  twelve  fathom  water, 
after  a  heavy  heel,  when  she  righted  and  sunk  with  her 
masts  and  rigging  standing.  Many  clung  to  loose  spars, 
and  floated  about  the  wreck,  but  the  majority  took  refuge 
in  the  shrouds.  The  severe  shock  of  the  ship  going 
down,  made  several  let  go  their  hold,  whilst  others,  by 
the  velocity  of  the  ship's  decent,  had  not  power  to  climb 
sufficiently  fast  to  keep  above  the  water.  The  Halse- 
well  East-Indiaman  was  wrecked  within  a  few  miles  from 
this  spot. — See  p.  214. 

When  the  hull  of  the  ship  touched  the  ground,  about 
one  hundred  and  eighty  persons  were  supposed  to  be  in 
the  tops  and  rigging  :  their  situation  was  beyond  all  des- 
cription wretched  :  the  yards  only  were  above  water, 
and  the  sea  was  breaking  over  them,  in  the  dead  of  a 
cold  and  frosty  night.  In  about  half  an  hour  their  spiiv 
its  were  revived,  by  the  sound  of  several  boats  beating 
against  the  waves  at  a  short  distance  ;  but,  alas  !  how 
vain  their  hopes,  when  on  hailing  the  boats,  not  one  of 
them  came  to  their  assistance.  The  sound  of  them 
died  away,  and  they  were  again  left  to  the  mercy  of  the 
rude  waves  By  twelve  o'clock  their  numbers  had 
jeauch  decrease^:  the  swell  had  awept  some  off, 


LOSS   OF   THE   ABKRGAVENNY. 

others  were,  from  the  piercing  cold,  unable  longer  to  re- 
tain their  hold.  Every  moment  they  perceived  some 
friend  floating  around  them,  for  a  while,  then  sinking* 
into  the  abyss  to  rise  no  more. 

About  this  time  a  sloop  was  discovered ;  she  had  for- 
tunately heard  the  signal  guns,  and  came  to  an  anchor 
close  by  the  ship.  The  weather  was  moderate,  and 
those  who  had  survived  were  now  promised  a  speedy 
delivery.  The  sloop's  boat  was  immediately  manned, 
and  proceeded  to  the  rigging  that  remained  above  water, 
when  every  person  was  taken  off.  The  boat  returned 
three  times,  taking  twenty  each  return.  Nothing  could 
be  more  correct  than  the  conduct  of  the  crew  on  this 
occasion  :  they  coolly  got  intp  the  boat,  one  by  one 
and  those  only  as  they  were  named  by  their  officers. 
When  it  was  supposed  that  every  one  was  brought  off, 
and  the  boat  was  about  to  depart  for  the  last  time,  a 
person  was  observed  in  one  of  the  tops  :  he  was  hailed 
to  but  did  not  answer.  Mr.  Gilpin,  the  fourth  officer, 
(whose  extraordinary  exertions  on  this  occasion,  as  well 
$s  throughout  the  whole  of  tin's  unfortunate  affair,  enti- 
tle him  to  the  highest  commendation,)  returned  to  the 
wreck,  and  there  found  a  man  in  an  inanimate  state, 
exhausted  from  the  severe  cold.  He  most  humanely 
brought  him  down  on  his  back,  and  took  him  to  the 
boat ;  the  man  proved  to  be  Serjeant  Heart  of  the  22d 
regiment.  Every  possible  care  was  taken  of  him,  but 
to  no  effect :  he  died  abouj;  twelve  hours  after  he  had 
landed.  The  sloop  having  now,  as  was  supposed,  taken 
on  board  all  the  survivors  of  the  ship,  returned  to  Wey- 
moulh.  She  had  not,  however,  proceeded  far,  before  it 
was  perceived  that  Mr.  Baggot,  the  chief  officer,  was 
elose  astern.  The  sloop  immediately  lay  to  for  him ; 
but  this  nohle  spirited  young  man,  although  certain  of 
securing  his  own  life^  disregarded  his  safety,  on  perceiv- 
ing Mrs.  Blair,  an  unfortunate  fellow  passenger,  floating 
at  some  distance  from  him.  He  succeeded  in  coming 
up  with  her,  and  sustained  her  above  water,  while  he 
swarn  towards  the  sloop  ;  but  just  as  he  was  on  the 
point  of  reaching  it,  a  swell  came  on,  and  his  strength 
being  totally  exhausUal,  toe  sirnk  and  never  rose  again. 


LOSS   OF   THE   ABERGAVENKr.  821 

The  unfortunate  Mrs.  Blair  sunk  after  him,  and  this  gen- 
erous youth  thus  perished  in  vain.  It  was  nearly  two 
o'clock  before  she  weighed  anchor  from  the  wreck,  but 
the  wind  being  favorable  she  soon  reached  .the  port, 
On  mustering  those  who  had  landed,  it  appeared  that 
only  155  persons  had  reached  the  shore  out  of  402  who 
had  embarked  ! 

The  greatest  attention  was  paid  to  the  unfortunate  suf- 
ferers by  the  mayor  and  aldermen,  as  well  as  the  princi- 
pal inhabitants  of  Weymouth  :  and  the  purser  was  im- 
mediately dispatched  to  the  India-House  with  the  me- 
lancholy intelligence. 

At  day-light,  February  the  6th,  the  top-masts  of  the 
ship  were  seen  from  Weymouth.  During  the  time  the 
passengers  and  crew  remained  in  the  tops  she  appeared 
to  have^unk  eight  feet,  and  was  considerably  lower  in  the 
morning  ;  it  was  therefore  conjectured,  that  she  had  sunk 
on  a  mud-bank.  The  Greyhound  cuUerwas  immediate- 
ly stationed  to  guard  the  wreck,  and  the  boats  from  the 
Rover  succeeded  in  stripping  the  masts  of  the  rigging. 
On  the  7th  her  decks  had  not  been  blown  up,  and  she 
appeared  .to  remain  in  exactly  the  same  state  in  which 
she  had  sunk.  Her  sinking  so  steadily  is  attributed  to 
the  great  weight  of  her  cargo,  her  floorings  consisting 
chiefly  of  earthen-ware.  The  cargo  of  the  ship  was  es- 
timated at  £00,0001  besides  .which  she  had  on  board 
dollars  to  the  am  omit  of  275,000  ounces,  and  is  suppos- 
ed to  have  bten  one  of  the  richest  ships  that  ever  sailed 
for  India.  She  was  of  the  largest  tonnage,  and  inferior 
only  to  the  Ganges  in  the  service,  being  at  least  1500 
tons  burthen,  and  built  for  the  China  trade. 

About  bO  officers  and  seamen  were  paved,  11  passen- 
ger?, 1 5  Chinese,  five  out  of  32  cadets,  and  45  recruits. 
The  captain  was  drowned.  He  was  nephew  to  Cap- 
tain \Vadsworth.  who  formerly  commanded  the  Ea*l  of 
Abergavenny,  and  was  considered  one  of  the  first  naviga- 
tors in  the  service.  He  was  on  his  third  voyage  as  captain, 
and  painful  to  relate,  perised  with  his  ship,  disdaining 
to  survive  the  logs  of  so  valuable  a  charge :  his  conduct, 
throughout  the  distressing  scene,  has  been  spoken  of  ia 
terms  of  the  highest  praise.  It  is  an  extraordinary  fact, 


LOSS    OF   THE   ABERGAVESNT, 

that  he  felt  such  an  unaccountable  depression  of  spirits, 
that  he  could  not  be  persuaded  to  go  through  the  usual 
ceremony  of  taking  leave  of  the  Court  of  Directors  on  the 
day  appointed  ;  and  it  was  not  till  the  Wednesday  fol- 
lowing, which  was  specially  fixed  for  that  purpose,  that 
he  yielded  to  the  wishes  of  his  friends,  and  reluctantly 
attended  the  Court !  He  was  a  man  of  remarkable  mild 
manners :  his  conduct  was,  in  every  instance,  so 
well  tempered,  that  he  was  known,  amqng  his  ship- 
mates, by  the  title  of  "  the  Philosopher."  As  soon  as 
the  ship  was  going  down,  Mr.  Baggot,  the  chief  officer, 
went  on  the  quarter  deck,  and  told  him,  "  that  all  exer- 
tions were  now  m  vain ;  the  skip  was  rapjdly  sinking." 
Captain  Wadsworth,  who,  no  doubt,  expected  it,  stead- 
fastly looked  him  in  the  face,  and,  at  last,  with  every 
appearance  of  a  heart-broken  man,  faintty  answered  : 
"  Let  her  go !  God's  will  be  done."  These  were  the 
last  words  he  uttered — from  that  instant  he  was  motion- 
less. In  a  few  moments  the  ship  sunk,  and  many  who 
were  climbing  the  shrouds  endeavored  to  s^ve  him,  but 
without  success.  In  this  endeavor  Mr.  Gityin  was  fore- 
most, and  made  several  unsuccessful  attempts,  at  tho 
evident  risk  of  his  own  life. 


from  a  London  Paper  of  May  4,  1 806,  we  extract  ths 
following. — Am.  Edition. 

"  By  a  letter  received  this  day,  it  appears  that  27 
chests  of  specie  were  landed  at  Weymouth  on  Thurs- 
day, from  the  wreck  of  the  Abergavenny  E&t-India- 


THE    LOSS 

OF  THE  COKBIN, 

Commended  by  Frauds  Pirard  De  Laval,  on 
Maldima  Islands. 


N 


IO  sooner  was  the  way 'Opened  to  the  East, 
than  the  different  nations  of  Europe  were  emulous  to 
signalize  themselves  by  pursuing  the  same  course,  and 
anxious  to  participate  in  the  commercial  advantages  it 
disclosed.  The  merchants  of  St.'Malo,  in  France, 
for  spirit  and  opulence  seemed  early  to  have  been  dis- 
tinguished above  the  rest  of  their  countrymen :  they  fit- 
ted out  two  vessels  for  the  East-India  trade,  the  Crois- 
sant of  300,  and  the  Cforbin  of  200  tons  burden.  On 
board  the  latter  was  Frances  Pirard  de  Laval,  whose 
misfortunes  and  remarks  furnish  the  materials  of  the  fol- 
lowing pages. 

These  ships  left  St.  Malo  on  the  18th  of  May,  1601, 
and  proceeded  wifh  favorable  gales  to  Anabon,  on  the 
coast  of  Africa,  where  they  took  in  water  and  fruit. 
From  thence  they  steered  for  St.  Helena,  where  the 
erews  refreshed,  and  in  a  short  time  recovered  from  the 
attacks  of  the  scurvy,  which  had  began  to  spread  its 
fatal  influence  among  them. 

Having  doubled  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope, -they  refit- 
ted in  St.  Augustin's  Bay,  in  the  Island  of  Madagascar ; 
and  from  thence  sailed  for  the  Comoro  Isles,  where 
they  made  some  stay,  highly  delighted  with  the  beau- 
ty and  fertility  of  the  place. 

Fortune  had  so  favored  them,  that  they  had  reached 
nearly  the  end  of  their  voyage  without  any  cross  acci- 


324  LOSS   OF   TH2    CORBIN. 

dent  or  remarkable  occurrence.  At  last,  in  lat.  5  north, 
they  found  themselves  entangled  among;  shelves  ;  and 
attempting  to  pass  them,  the  Corbin,  \vY\ch  sailed  con- 
siderably ahead,  thrice  struck  on  a  rock  on  the  coast  of 
the  Maldives  ;  and  being  out  of  reach  of  any  assistance 
from  her  consort,  was  left  to  her  fate. 

At  the  time  when  this  accident  happened,  the  French 
hailed  a  bark  belonging  to  one  of  the  islands ;  but  the 
natives  did  not  venture  to  approach  them,  on  account 
of  a  royal  prohibition,  which  forbids  them  from  having 
any  intercourse  with  strange  ships,  without  the  king's 
leave. 

Meanwhile,  the  sailors.,  seeing  the  destruction  thafc 
awaited  them,  instead  of  warding  it  off  by  prudence, 
seemed  to  hasten  it  by  desperation  and  excess.  They 
broke  loose  from  all  restraint,  insulted  their  officers,  eat 
and  drank  with  a  frantic  gaiety,  and  loudly  proclaimed, 
that  as  death  was  inevitable,  they  were  resolved  to  make 
its  approach  as  easy  as  possible. 

In  disasters  of  this  kind  the  danger  is  always  increas- 
ed by  insubordination ;  but  with  the  momentary  dread 
of  death  before  them,  it  cannot  be  expected  that  uncul- 
tivated minds  can  reason  or  reflect ;  the  frantic  impulse 
of  the  minute  is  their  only  rule  of  action. 

While  the  Corbin  was  suspended  on  the  rocks,  the 
conduct  of  the  common  men  filled  every  thinking  mind 
with  horror  :  at  last  they  became  more  reconciled  to 
their  situation,  and  having  escaped  immediate  death, 
they  began  to  listen  to  the  suggestions  of  their  officers, 
and  to  yield  their  assistance  to  work  the  ship  to  land. 
In  short,  after  continuing  two  days  in  this  deplorable 
situation,  the  Oorbin  was,  with  infinite  labor  and  diffi- 
culty, hauled  over  the  flats,  and  brought  to  a  small 
island  earned  Pouiadon,  belonging  to  the  Maldivia 
group. 

The  French  carried  some  arms  with  them,  but  the 
natives  insisted  on  their  being  delivered  up,  before  they 
would  suffer  them  to  land.  Submission  was  their  only 
resource  ;  they  surrendered  at  discretion,  and  were  then 
couducted  by  the  Indians  to  the  interior  of  the  island, 
where  they  were  entertained  with  cocoas,  lemons,  and 


LOSS   OF   THE    CORBIN. 

other  fruit?,  but  rifled  of  every  thing  about  them,  on 
pretence  that  all  the  property  saved  from  wrecks  belong- 
ed to  the  king. 

However,  the  French  having  a  piece  of  scarlet  cloth, 
had  the  policy  to  give  out,  that  it  was  originally  intend- 
ed as  a  present  for  the  king  of  the  islands,  together  with 
-the  whole  cargo  of  the  ship.  On  this  the  natives  were 
very  cautious  not  to  nieddle  with  what  they  considered 
as  royal  property  ;  but  the  chief  man  of  the  island  was 
privately  induced*  to  accept  a  few  yards  of  scarlet  sloth, 
which  -present  confirmed  him  their  friend. 

Soon  after,  this  person  sent  the  master  of  the  ship  ami 
4\vo  of  the  sailors,  to  Male,  where  the  king  resided,  when 
one  of  the  royal  family  was  immediately  dispatched  to 
gave  whatever  could  be  done  from  the  wreck. 

The  French,  on  leaving  tire  vessel,  had  brought  off  a 
considerable  quantity  of  money  wiih  them,  which  they 
buried  on  shore,  as  a  common  supply  for  their  future  ex- 
igencies ;  but  some  of  the  men,  being  in  want  of  sub- 
sistence, and  knowing  where  the  treasure  was  hid,  dug 
np  a  part  of  it,  and  having  offered  some  pieces  of  money 
Tor  food,  the  consequence  of  this  was  speedily  -felt. 
The  natives  seeing  that  the  strangers  had  money,  would 
not  allow  them  the  smallest  assistance  without  being  paid 
for  it;  and  when  the  hoard  began  to  be  exhausted,  they 
were  brought  to  the  greatest  distress.  Each  now  be- 
came selfish  and  unfeeling;  for  where  money  commands 
every  thing,  and  nothing  is  to  be  procured  without  it, 
*these  dispositions  are  rather  to  be  lamented  than  won- 
dered at.  The  strong  robbed  the  weak,  the  healthy 
withdrew  the  pittance  of  the  sick;  and  that  fellow  feel- 
.ing  aad  partnership  in  fortunes,  which  should  have  bound 
them  to  each  other  by  stronger  tks.  were  weakened  and 
dissolved  by  the  love  of  .araas&ing  money,  to  supply 
their  individual  wants. 

Our  author  and  two  ethers  were  transported  to  the 
island  of  Pandow,  where  the  natives,  hearing  of  the 
treasures  that  had  been  brought  to  light  in  the  other  isl- 
ands, and  thinking  that  those  persons  too  were  jiot  des- 
titute of  money,  refused  (hem  provisions,  in  hopes  of 
extorting  a  recompense,  Laval  and  his  associates  hav- 
D  d 


228  X^OSS   OF   THE    CORBIN. 

ing  no  resources  of  this  kind,  were  reduced  to  the  great- 
est extremities  ;  but  assiduously  applying  himself  to  learn 
the  language  of  the  country,  and  having  ingratiated 
himself  with  the  governor  of  the  island,  he  was  soon 
sent  to  Male,  with  recommendations  to  the  king. 

His  majesty  and  sultanas  were  highly  delighted  to  find 
a  foreigner  who  could  converse  with  them  in  their  own 
tongue  ;  and,  by  the  arts  of  insinuation  and  address,  he 
soon  rose  to  rank  and  opulence  among  this  people,  where 
he  was  obliged  to  live  several  years,  and  by  this  means 
gained  much  local  knowledge  of  the  country  and  the 
customs. 

The  Maldives  lie  between  one  deg.  north,  and  four 
deg.  south  latitude,  extending  200  leagues  in  length, 
and  25  in  breadth.  They  are  said  to  be  divided  into  13 
provinces,  called  attolons,  each  of  which  comprehends 
many  small  islands.  Ridges  of  rocks  surround  the 
whole,  on  which  the  sea  breaks  with  prodigious  violence. 
The  whole  number  of  islands  is  calculated  at  1 2,000,  but 
jnany  of  them  are  only  sandy,  sterii  spots,  without  the 
least  vegetation.  Penguins,  however,  and  other  marine 
birds,  take  up  their  residence  here  ;  the  most  barren 
islets  are  covered  with  their  nests. 

The  attolons  all  lie  in  a  line,  and  are  parted  by  narrow 
..channels,  through  which  the  navigation  for  ships  of  any 
burthen  is  extremely  perilous.  But  the  natives  being 
innured  to  the  sea  from  their  infancy,  shew  much  dexter- 
.ity  in  managing  their  vessels,  that  neither  rocks  nor  sur- 
ges alarm  them.  However,  they  seldom  sail  by  night, 
nor  do  they  often  leave  sight  of  land. 

The  climate,  from  the  situation,  must  naturally  be 
supposed  to  be  excessively  hot  ;  yet  the  nights  are  cool, 
and  the  heavy  dews,  which  fail  then,  refresh  the  herbs 
and  trees.  The  winter  commences  in  April,  and  lasts 
till  October,  during  which  period  the  rain  falls  in  deluges, 
and  the  westerly  winds  are  very  boisterous.  In  the  sum- 
mer months  the  winds  blow  in  a  contrary  direction,  and 
the  earth  is  parched  up  with  drought. 

The  Maldivians  are  a  personable  people,  of  an  olive 
complexion.  The  natives  of  Male,  and  of  the  other 
islands  towards  the  nortb,  are  more  polished  than  those 


L.0S9    OP    THE    CORBIH.  327 

;\ls  the  south,  who  seldom  have  any  intercourse 
with  Europeans.  On  the  north,  the  king  anil  the  prin- 
cipal people  reside  ;  and  banishment  to  the  south 
is  a  common  punishment  for  crimes  not  worthy  of 
death. 

The  Maldivians,  in  general,  are  supposed  of  a  quick- 
ness of  parts,  a  liveliness  of  disposition,  and  much  ingen- 
uity. They  are  prudent  and  warlike,  and  have  a  regu- 
lar form  of  government. 

The  women  may  be  reckoned  handsome  ;  their  hair 
is  naturally  black,  and  this  color  is  heightened  by  art. 
Girls  have  their  heads  shaved,  except  a  little  tuft  on  the 
forehead,  to  distinguish  them  from  boys.  When  they 
arrive  at  maturity,  the  care  and  management  of  their 
hair  is  a  principal  object  of  female  attention.  They 
wash  it  with  a  peculiar  water,  suffer  it  to  float  in 
the  wind  to  dry,  and  then  perfume  it  with  odoriferous 
oils. 

Both  sexes  bathe  once  a  day,  and  afterwards  anoint 
their  bodies.  The  women  having  washed  and  perfum- 
ed themselves,  collect  their  hair  in  a  knot,  and  in- 
crease the  apparent  quantity  by  artificial  means.  They 
also  frequently  set  off  their  heads  with  fragrant  flow- 
ers. 

Among  the  men,  only  persons  of  rank  and  soldiers 
are  allowed  to  wear  their  hair  uncut,  and  these  dress 
it  nearly  in  a  similar  manner  to  the  women.  In  gen- 
eral they  shave  ;  but  those  who  have  performed  a 
pilgrimage  to  Mecca,  have  the  priviledge  of  suffering 
their  beards  to  grow  to  a  full  length.  Even  the  hair, 
which  is  cut,  and  the  parings  of  the  nails,  are  buried 
in  the  usual  cemeteries,  from  an  idea  that  being  pails 
of  the  natural  body,  they  ought  to  be  treated  accord- 
ingly. 

The  men  wear  a  swathe  of  cloth  between  their  Iegs5 
over  which  they  have  a  piece  of  cotton  depending  to 
the  knees,  and  above  that  a  longer  kind,  of  silk  or  cot- 
ton, reaching  to  their  ankles.  The  waist  is  adorned 
with  an  embroidered  kandherchief,  tied  before.  Over 
all,  they  have  a  large  silk  fringed  girdle,  in  the  left  side 
of  which  is  a  pocket  for  carrying  their  money  and 
betel,  and  ija  the  right  a  knife  is  stuck. 


LSSS   OP   THE    CORBIF. 

.      Every  male  prides  himself  on  wearing  a  knife,  it  he 
ing  the  only  weapon  the  inferior  ranks  are  allowed.     The 
soldiers  and  grandees,  however,  carry  a  dagger  at  their 
Bides,  and  when  they  walk  abroad,  a  sword  in  one  hand, 
with  a  buckler  or  javelin  in  the  other. 

The  Maldivians  place  their  chief  personal  decoration 
in  the  silver  chains  that  hang  from  their  girdle ;  and 
ef  these  every  person  has  a  greater  or  smaller  quantity, 
in  proportion  to  his  opulence. 

The  common  people  seldom  wear  any  other  clothes 
but  what,  decency  requires,  except  on  festivals ;  but  men 
of  quality  have  handsome  jerkins  and  waiscoats,  while 
the  more  foppish  anoint  the  skin,  from  the  girdle  up- 
wards, with  an  odorous  paint,  in  which  figures  are  some- 
times delineated. 

Turbans,  of  various  qualities,  are  in  common  use, 
but  the  soldiers  and  grandees  frequently  use  embroidered 
handkerchiefs  as  a  covering  for  the  head.  The  feet  are 
always  naked,  except  within  doors,  when  wooden  san- 
dals are  used. 

The  women  wear  a  silk  or  cotton  petticoat,  over 
which  they  throw  a  Jong  robe  without  any  opening,  ex- 
cept at  the  neck,  and  this  reaches  to  their  feet.  Their 
arms  are  decorated  with  a  profusion  of  bracelets,  ac- 
cording to  their  rank.  Their  ears  are  early  pierced  in 
the  tip,  from  which  hangs  a  large  pendant,  and  the  gristle 
is  perforated  in  many  places,  and  studded  with  guilt 
nails,  set  with  precious  stones  or  pearls.  The  privilege, 
however,  of  wearing  ornaments  of  gold  or  jewels  must 
be  purchased  of  the  queen  ;  and,  in  like  manner,  the 
men  must  buy  the  king's  permission  for  the  same  in- 
dulgence. 

When  the  women  go  abroad  they  are  deeply  vailed, 
and  their  faces  are  difficult  to  be  seen  ;  but  in  presence 
of  women  of  superior  rank,  the  etiquette  requires  that 
the}-  should  be  unveiled. 

The  different  qualities  of  the  women  are  distinguished 
by  their  ornaments  ;  and,  if  a  wife,  through  vanity,  as- 
sumes more  costly  decorations  than  belongs  to  her  rank, 
her  husband's  taxes  are  raised,  unless  he  is  in  the  royal 
service,  or  an  inhabitant  of  Male  ;  for  in  that  island  there 
are  no  sumptuary  laws  in  regard  to  dress. 


LO6S    OF   THE    CORBIN.  329 

The  king  is  generally  clothed  in  a  fine  white  robe, 
which  reaches  a  little  below  the  girdle ;  this  fastened 
with  buttons  of  solid  gold.  Over  the  robe  he  wears  a 
piece  of  red  embroidered  tapestry,  depending  to  the 
heels,  richly  ornamented.  His  girdle  is  adorned  with 
brilliants,  and  on  his  head  he  wears  a  scarlet  cap,  laced 
with  gold,  and  surmounted  with  a  large  gold  knob,  set 
with  a  jewel. 

But  the  chief  ensign  of  royal  dignity  is  a  white  um- 
brella, which  no  native  is  permitted  to  use.  He  is  usu- 
ally attended  by  three  pages ;  one  carries  his  fan.  anoth- 
er his  sword  and  buckle,  and  the  third  his  betel  and 
areca  box, 

3VI.  de  Laval  was  doomed  to  remain  in  this  country  long 
enough  to  acquire  an  intimate  knowledge  of  the  charac- 
ters and  customs  of  the  Maldivians  at  that  period.  He 
says  that  the  king  was  generally  shut  up  with  his  women, 
or  employed  in  giving  audience  to  his  courtiers.  He  had 
a  taste  for  the  mechanic  arts,  and  constantly  employed 
and  superintended  a  number  of  artificers  in  the  various 
branches  of  elegant  manufacture.  His  guards  consisted 
of  six  companies,  under  the  command  of  as  many  coun- 
sellors, named  moscoulis.  Besides  which  he  had  ten 
battalions,  who  served  his  majesty  in  various  civil,  rath- 
er than  military  capacities. 

On  Fridays  the  king  went  to  the  mosque  in  great 
pomp,  attended  by  one  hundred  of  his  guards,  his  offi- 
cers in  waiting,  and  a  complete  band  of  music,  consist- 
ing of  trumpets,  flutes,  and  drums.  After  service  he 
returned  in  the  same  state ;  and,  as  these  islands  afford 
no  beasts  of  burthen,  he  walked  on  foot,  unless  when 
he  was  carried  in  a  chair  on  the  shoulders  of  his  slave?, 
which  was  not  frequent. 

His  queens  wore  the  same  kind  of  habits  as  the  other 
Maldivian  women,  but  of  a  much  richer  and  more  ex- 
pensive quality.  Whenever  they  appeared  in  public, 
the  women  ran  to  meet  them,  and  presented  them  with 
fruit  and  flowers.  A  number  of  female  slaves  preceded 
them,  to  warn  the  men  from  approaching.  The  cham- 
bers where  these  royal  prisoners  lived  were  always 
•lighted  with  lamps;  so  that  their  lives  must,  accord- 
Dd2 


S30  LOSS    OF   THE    COREIN. 

ing  to  our  ideas,  be  the  most  uncomfortable  in  the 
world. 

The  royal  revenues  arise  from  the  crown  lands,  from 
a  fifth  of  the  grain  and  fruits  of  the  whole  country,  from 
a  tax  OH  dried  fish  and  on  shells  named  cowries,  the 
current  medium  of  exchange.  In  addition  to  these  im- 
posts, his  subjects  annually  present  him  with  cloth  enough 
to  dress  his  soldiers.  He  likewise  derives  no  inconsidera- 
ble revenues  from  goods  imported  by  shipping,  as  he  is 
principal  merchant,  and  sells  out  the  commodities  he 
has  purchased  on  what  terms  he  pleases. 

All  shipwrecks  belong  to  his  majesty,  and  also  what- 
ever ambergrise  is  found  on  the  coast.  This  is  more 
abundant  here  than  in  any  other  part  of  the  Indies,  and 
is  so  strictly  watched,  that  whoever  secrets  or  ap- 
propriates it  to  his  own  use,  on  detection  loses  a  hand. 
The  king  has  also  the  sole  property  in  a  kind  of  sea-nuts, 
called  tannacarre,  which  are  frequently  thrown  on  the 
shore.  These  are  as  large  as  a  man's  head,  and  are 
esteemed  valuable  in  medicine.  The  Portuguese  call 
them  the  cocoas  of  the  Maldives. 

The  government  is  an  absolute  monarchy.  Each 
attolon,  or  province,  is  under  the  superintendence  of  a 
naybe,  or  governor,  who  is  a  priest  and  doctor  of  the 
law,  and  exercises  very  extensive  powers.  The  naybes, 
however,  are  accountable  to  the  pandiare,  or  cady,  who 
resides  in  the  isle  of  Male,  and  is  the  supreme  judge 
both  in  civil  and  ecclesiastical  causes.  The  judgement 
of  this  officer  can  only  be  reversed  by  the  king  himself, 
to  whom  an  appeal  lies. 

The  pandiare  makes  an  annual  circuit  of  the  isle  of 
Male,  as  every  naybe  does  in  his  respective  province, 
and  condemns  all  to  be  whipped  that  cannot  say  their 
creed  and  prayers  in  the  Arabic  tongue.  When  wit- 
nesses are  cited  in  any  cause,  by  a  singular  regulation, 
the  evidence  of  three  women  is  only  equivalent  to  that 
of  one  man,  and  slaves  are  never  admitted  to  give  their 
testimony. 

An  insolvent  debtor  is  obliged  to  become  a  servant 
to  his  creditor,  and  both  he  and  his  children  must  work 
the  debt  out  before  he  obtains  his  liberty.  The  orduia- 


LOSS   OF   THE    CORBIS.  33-i 

«y  punishment  for  criminals  is  whipping,  and  the  most 
heinous  offences,  short  of  murder,  may  be  got  off  for 
a  pecuniary  mulct.  Stealing,  however,  is  punished  with 
the  loss  of  a  hand ;  but  capital  punishments  are  never 
inflicted,  except  by  the  king's  express  command. 

The  inhabitants  are  divided  into  four  classes :  the 
royal  family,  persons  invested  with  offices  and  dignities, 
the  nobility  and  gentrjr,  and  the  common  people.  Be- 
tween the  third  and  fourth  ranks  the  distinctions  are  very 
strictly  observed.  If  a  noblewoman  marries  a  plebeian, 
* .  she  retains  her  rank,  and  her  children  are  ennobled  also  ; 
bBt^a  women  of  the  lowest  class  derives  no  privileges 
from  matching  with  a  grandee.  The  king,  however, 
possesses  the  power  of  elevating  whom  he  pleases  to  the 
third  rank,  by  a  kind  of  letters  patent  ;  and.  of 
course,  they  are  then  eligible  to  the  offices  of  trust  or 
honor. 

The  externals  of  religion  are  very  strictly  observed 
among  the  Maldivians  :  but  its  vital  influence  is  little  felt. 
The  grossest  vices  are  daily  committed  without  shame, 
and  almost  without  punishment.  Both  sexes  are  ex- 
tremely libidinous  ;  and  chastity  before  marriage  is  nei- 
ther reckoned  a  virtue  nor  a  fault. 

To  be  able  to  read  the  Koran  in  the  original  is  the 
extent  of  their  literary  acquirements.  The  Maldiviatv 
tongue,  is,  however,  cultivated  with  some  care.  In 
teaching  children  to  write,  they  make  use  of  a  bodkin 
on  a  smooth  board  covered  with  sand.  But  their  wri- 
tings, which  are  intended  to  be  durable,  are  on  a  kind 
of  paper,  made  of  the  leaf  of  a  tree. 

Children  have  a  profound  veneration  fqjf  their  masters 
and  parents  ;  and  with  this,  so  many  good  qualities  ape 
generally  united,  that  it  must  be  the  want  of  good  ex- 
amples alone  that  renders  them  vicious  or  dissipated. 
Where  a  due  respect  is  paid  to  age  and  authority,  the 
young  might  be  trained  to  any  thing. 

Metalic  money  is  only  of  one  sort,  called  larrins, 
about  the  value  of  eight  pence.  Instead  of  small  change, 
they  make  use  of  cowries,  twelve  thousand  of  which 
make  a  larrin.  Gold  and  silver  are  imported  from  the 
continent,  and  go  by  weight  when  employed  as  the 
ilium  of  exchange, 


932  LOSS    OF    THE   CORBIN. 

Merchants  resort  to  the  Maldives,  principally  to  pur- 
chase the  cocoa  nuts  and  cowries.  When  Laval  resided 
here,  upwards  of  one  hundred  ships  annually  resorted 
thither  to  purchase  cocoas,  and  the  balance  of  trade 
seemed  to  be  in  favor  of  those  islanders. 

Some  of  the  festive  customs  of  the  Maldivians  are 
very  singular.  If  they  intended  to  compliment  a  friend 
with  an  entertainment,  they  send  the  viands  to  his  house, 
as  they  seldom  eat  in  the  presence  of  others.  Instead 
of  a  table,  they  cover  the  floor  with  a  mat ;  and  for 
cloths  and  napkins,  make  use  of  banana  leaves.  Their 
dishes  are  of  earthen  or  china  ware. 

The  poor  are  treated  with  great  humanity,  and  none 
will  offer  them  food  that  they  do  not  think  fit  to 
eat  themselves,  The  indigent  are  regarded  as  the  ser- 
vants of  God,  and  it  would  be  reckoned  profane  to  treat 
them  with  offal. 

During  their  meals  they  are  very  silent,  and  think  it 
indecent  to  be  long  at  table.  They  never  drink  till  they 
have  finished  their  repast,  and  even  then  only  drink 
once  of  water  or  cocoa  wine.  No  man  must  meddle 
with  cookery,  or,  his  sex  would  avoid  him  as  a  disgrace 
to  them. 

No  sooner  do  children  come  into  the  world  than  they 
are  washed  six  times  a  day  in  cold  water,  and  then 
anointed  with  oil.  The  mothers,  from  the  highest  to  the 
lowest  rank,  suckle  their  offspring.  At  the  age  of  nine 
months  they  generally  begin  to  walk  ;  and  when  they 
arrive  at  nine  years  old,  they  commence  the  studies  and 
exercises  of  the  country. 

When  the  IV^aldivians  wake  from  sleep,  they  immedi- 
ately wash  their  faces,  and  rub  them  with  oil,  before 
they  salute  any  one.  Betel  is  universally  chewed,  and 
they  mutually  present  it  to  each  other  on  occasional 
interviews.  Cleanliness  is  not  only  an  article  of  their 
religion,  but  an  inbred  habit  among  them. 

They  have  many  superstitious  observations  when  they 
begin  a  journey,  or  take  any  business  of  importance  in 
hand.  If  any  unlucky  incident  befals  them,  they  impute 
it  to  some  unpropitieus  person  whom  they  have  met  or 
touched. 


LOSS    OF   THE    CORBZN.  323 

With  the  Mahometan  faith  they  mix  many  Pagan 
rites.  They  address  themselves  to  the  king  of  the  winds, 
when  they  are  going  on  any  expedition  by  water ;  and 
m  every  island  there  is  a  desolate  place,  where  those 
who  have  escaped  shipwreck  make  their  offe rings. 
They  also  pay  a  superstitious  respect  to  the  king  of  the 
sea,  whence  they  think  it  impious  to  spit  to  the  wind- 
ward of  the  ship. 

All  natural  and  incidental  ills  they  impute  to  the  in- 
tervention of  the  devil ;  and  to  avert  his  vengeance  they 
make  him  occasional  offerings  of  flowers  or  banquets, 
The  latter  is  sometimes  carried  off  by  the  poor,  when 
superstition  is  not  stronger  than  hunger. 

They  attribute  a  wonderful  virtue  to  certain  charac- 
ters, which  they  always  carry  about  them  in  little  boxes. 
These  are  believed  to  be  of  powerful  efficacy  in  curing 
ar  alleviating  diseases,  in  procuring  love  and  safety, 
and  preserving  them  from  malice  and  danger.  The 
magicians,  who  are  also  the  physicians,  derive  a  lucritive 
trade  in  these  charms  or  amulets. 

In  these  islands  are  no  inclosed  towns,  the  houses 
lying  scattered  without  regularity  or  distinction  of  streets. 
Their  dwellings  are  generally  built  of  cocoa  wood,  and 
covered  with  the  leaves  of  the  same  tree  ;  but  persons 
of  quality  have  stone  buildings,  of  a  black  color,  the 
materials  of  which  they  draw  out  of  the  sea  with  much 
labor  and  ingenuity. 

So  expert  are  they  in  diving  and  swimming,  that  La- 
val says,  they  drew  up  the  cannon  and  anchors  of  the 
French  ship  that  was  cast  away  ;  and  he  was  an  eye  wit- 
ness of  their  clearing  the  harbor  of  Male  within  a  few 
days,  which  was  so  choaked  up  with  rocks  that  no  ship 
could  enter  it. 

The  royal  palace  has  many  fine  apartments,  but  no 
regular  architecture.  It  is  surrounded  with  gardens, 
adorned  with  fountains  and  reservoirs.  The  ceiling  and 
walls  of  the  palace  are  hunj;  with  silk  tapestry,  and 
floored  wiih  mats.  The  king's  beds,  and  those  of  the 
grandees,  are  suspended  with  cords,  upon  a  beam  sup- 
ported by  two  posts,  and  in  them  they  are  rocked  to 
sleep, 


334  LOSS    OF    'PIIE    CORBIN. 

The  mosques  are  not  inelegant  structures,  and  round 
them  are  square  inclosures,  iu  which  they  bury  the  dead. 
Each  mosque  has  its  priest  ;  and  each  island,  that  has 
any  considerable  population,  is  dignified  by  having  a 
catibe,  who  is  principally  master  of  all  public  exercises, 
and  governs  the  inferior  priests. 

They  retire  to  the  mosques  five  times  a  day  ;  but  the 
indolent  are  allowed  to  say  their  prayers  at  home.  An 
abs  'lute  neglect,  however,  of  this  religious  exercise, 
subjects  the  indevout  to  all  the  pains  and  penalties  of 
excommunication  :  no  one  v»ill  eat  or  converse  with 
them.  They  offer  their  penitential  prayers  with  a  loud 
voice,  and  by  this  means  expose  the  most  secret  trans- 
actions of  their  lives  ;  but  where  impurity  of  any  kind 
is  scarcely  regarded  as  a  blemish  in  the  eyes  of  men, 
this  publicity  of  confession  is  not  regarded  as  a  serious 


Males  are  circumcised  at  seven  years  of  age,  on  which- 
occasion  the  parents  and  relations  keep  a  festival  for 
fourteen  days.  Particular  operators  perform  this  pain- 
ful rite,  and  from  this  only  they  derive  a  livelihood. 
Girls  also  undergo  a  kind  of  circumcision  when  they  are 
only  two  years  old  ;  but  this  is  attended  with  no  solemnity. 
The  operator,  however,  on  both  sexes  is  always  consid- 
ered as  a  parent. 

The  Maldivians  celebrate  several  festivals.  Friday, 
being  their  sabbath,  is  devoted  to  fasting  and  religious 
observances.  The  catibe  composes  a  new  prayer  for 
every  Friday  in  the  year.  He  repeats  without  book, 
and  if  he  makes  a  single  mistake,  he  is  publicly  repri- 
manded. Every  new  moon  is  ushered  in  with  a  varie* 
ty  of  ceremonies-  ;  and  the  feast  of  the  Ramadan,  as 
in  other  Mahometan  countries,  is  kept  here  with  due 
solemnity. 

When  a  marriage  is  in  contemplation,  the  parties  ad4 
dress  themselves  to  the  nay  be,  who  takes  the  man  by 
the  hand,  and  asks  him  if  he  is  willing  to  have  the  wo 
jnare  on  the  conditions  proposed  ;  and,  as  she  is  always 
absent,  her  parents  answer  in  her  nam«.  When  pre- 
liminaries are  settled,  the  bride  is  introduced,  and  the 
company  are  desired  to  be  witnesses  of  the  compact, 


LOSS    OF   THE    CORBIN.  3(35 

The  woman  is  then  conducted,  by  all  present,  to  her 
husband's  house,  where  feasting,  dancing,  and  music 
commence.  The  bride-groom  makes  some  customary 
presents  to  the  king,  and  Ihe  bride  pays  the  same  com- 
pliment to  the  queens.  But  when  the  king  is  married, 
instead  of  giving,  he  receives  presents  from  his  subjects, 
all  which  belong  to  the  new  married  queen. 

The  males  may  marry  when  they  please ;  but  females 
are  seldom  disposed  of  till  they  are  ten  or  eleven  years 
of  age  ;  and  the  first  suitor,  whether  old  or  young,  pro- 
vided the  rank  is  not  an  obstacle,  is  seldom  refused. 
Parents  esteem  it  a  sin  to  keep  their  daughters  single  be- 
yond (he  years  of  maturity  ;  but  a  female  orphan  can- 
not marry  till  she  ie  fifteen. 

Though  a  woman  cannot  leave  her  husband  without 
bis  consent,  a  man  may  divorce  his  wife  on  returning  her 
jointure.  The  divorced  parties  may  come  together 
y^ain  as  often  as  they  please  ;  but,  that  the  priest  may 
not  be  robbed  of  his  dues,  a  new  marriage  must  take 
place  after  each  separation. 

When  a  person  dies,  the  corpse  is  washed  by  those 
of  the  same  sex.  The  body  is  then  wrapped  in  cotton ; 
its  right  hand  placed  upon  the  ear,  and  the  left  on  the 
thigh.  It  is  then  placed  in  a  coffin,  and  carried  to  the 
burial  ground  by  relations  and  friends,  attended  by  wo- 
men, who  howl  in  the  most  piteous  manner.  If  the 
deceased  is  a  person  of  quality,  gifts  are  distributed  to 
the  poor,  and  the  priest,  In  particular,  is  not  forgot.  It 
is  his  business  to  sing  during  the  whole  ceremony,  and 
every  day  till  the  third  Friday  after,  when  a  general 
feast  is  prepared  for  the  friends  of  the  defunct,  on 
the  supposition  that  the  soul  is  then  conveyed  to  Para- 
dise. 

If  a  person  of  the  first  rank  dies,  the  priests  sing  for 
him  a  whole  year,  during  which  they  are  well  entertain- 
ed and  lead  a  pleasant  easy  kind  of  life.  O  supersti- 
tion, how  wide  is  thy  sway  !  la  Mahometan,  and  many 
Christian  countries,  the  same  weakness  leads  men  to 
believe  in  the  efficacy  of  prayers  and  ceremonies  for 
the  dead,  while  priests  reap  the  only  benefit  from  the 
delusion  ! 


336  -LOSS    OP   TETE    CORBIN, 

Mourners  make  no  alteration  in  their  dress,  except 
that  they  go  bareheaded  to  the  place  of  interment,  and 
continue  so  for  a  few  days.  Those  who  die  fighting 
against  the  enemies  of  Mahomet,  are  buried  without 
any  ceremony,  under  the  idea  that  they  are  at  once 
translated  to  Paradise,  and  want  no  intercession  of 
priests . 

The  Maldives  produce  luxuriant  crops  of  millet,  and 
a  kind  of  grain,  called  brimby,  resembling  rape  seed. 
Of  these  two  sorts  of  grain  they  have  a  double  crop 
yearly.  They  have  several  esculent  roots,  and  many 
choice  fruits  ;  but  though  the  attolons  are  all  nearly  in 
the  same  climate,  each  is  distinguished  for  its  different 
commodities,  and  the  inhabitants  in  one  cannot  subsist 
without  the  commodities  of  another.  This  necessity 
links  them  aH  in  a  kind  of  mutual  dependance,  and 
creates  an  interchange  of  commercial  articles.  Trades 
are  also  divided  in  different  islands.  One  contains  smiths, 
another  weavers,  and  so  on.  To  facilitate  communica- 
tion, these  artificers  have  little  boats,  in  which  they 
make  the  circuit  of  the  islands,  to  vend  their  wares  or 
manufactures  ;  and  one  of  these  trading  voyages  some- 
times occupies  the  space  of  a  year. 

Wild  fowl  are  prodigiously  plentiful,  though  there  are 
few  domestic  poultry.  Crows  are  very  troublesome, 
and  the  bats  are  as  large  as  ravens. 

There  are  few  poisonous  animals,  but  vermin  of  vari- 
ous kinds  over  run  the  country,  and  infest  the  houses. 
Sheep  and  cattle  were  the  only  large  quadrupeds  in  the 
Maldives,  when  M.  de  Laval  resided  there.  Dogs  are 
held  in  abhorrence,  and  two,  sent  by  the  king  of  Portu- 
gal, as  a  present,  were  immediately  drowned. 

The  sea  is  replete  with  excellent  fish,  and  fishing  con- 
stitutes a  principal  part  of  the  employment  of  the  natives. 
But  of  all  the  productions  of  the  sea,  the  shell  fish,  call- 
ed cowries,  are  the  most  valuable  and  most  esteemed. 
The  shells,  commonly  called  blackamoor's  teeth,  are  no 
inconsiderable  articles  of  commerce  Immense  quanti- 
ties are  exported  to  Guinea ;  and  formerly,  about  twelve 
thousand  pounds  of  cowries  would  purchase  five  hun- 
dred slaves.  The  value  is  now  diminished >  but  still  the 


LOSS   OF   THE   CORBItf.  8J{ 

•owries  of  the  Maldives  are  in  higli  estimation  among 
the  negroes,  who  use  them  as  their  principal  ornaments, 
and  in  many  places  they  pass  for  money  to  the  present 
day.  Our  author  says,  that  he  has  seen  thirty  or  forty 
ships  wholly  laden  with  them. 

But  enough  has  been  said  of  the  customs  and  produce 
of  the  Maldives.  Let  us  now  attend  to  the  fortune  of 
Laval.  It  has  already  been  said  that  he  rose  to  some 
distinction  :  but  it  is  by  no  means  probable  that  any 
dignity  could  make  him  forget  that  he  was  cut  off  from 
his  friends  and  from  polished  society,  nor  repress  his 
desire  to  obtain  his  liberty. 

After  he  had  been  about  four  years  and  a  half  in  this 
country,  news  arrived  that  the  king  of  Bengal  was  fit- 
ting out -a  fleet  to  invade  the  Maldives.  The  king  of 
Male  no  sooner  received  this  alarming  intelligence,  than 
he  issued  orders  for  equipping  all  the  vessels  in  his 
dominions ;  but  before  this  could  be  accomplished,  the 
enemy's  fleet  appeared  in  sight,  on  which  the  king  re- 
solved to  fly  to  the  southern  island,  till  he  could  master 
a  sufficient  force  to  oppose  the  invaders  with  some  pros- 
pect of  success. 

His  most  valuable  -effects  were  instantly  embarked, 
together  with  his  queens  ;  and  he  left  his  distracted  sub- 
jects, who  knew  not  how  to  avoid  the  impending  danger, 
or  how  to  oppose  it. 

No  sooner,  however,  did  the  esemy  hear  of  the  flight 
of  the  king,  than  they  despatched  some  of  their  swiftest 
sailing  vessels  to  overtake  him.  The  unhappy  monarch 
found  it  impossible  to  escape  ;  he  was  slain,  and  his  ships, 
wives,  and  treasure  rewarded  the  victors. 

As  soon  as  the  Bengalians  landed  a£  Male,  Laval  sur- 
rendered himself  to  them ;  explaining  his  situation  and 
his  solicitude  to  be  taken  under  their  protection.  When 
they  found  he  was  not  a  Portuguese,  they  treated  him 
with  much  kindness :  the  French  had  not  yet,  by  their 
ambition,  disturbed  the  repose  of  the  natives  of  the 
east,  and,  therefore,  were  not  the  objects  of  their  re- 
sentment. 

The  conquerors,  after  plundering  the  royal  palace  of 
every  thing  valuable,  prepared  for  their  departure,  taking 
E  e 


SS8  LOSS   OF  THE   CORBIN. 

with  them  the  brother-in-law  of  the  late  king,  and  leav- 
ing the  other  natives  at  liberty.  Laval  was  a  voluntary 
passenger  to  Bengal,  and  there  he  began  to  concert  the 
means  of  a  passage  to  Europe. 

While  engaged  in  these  plans,  the  Mogul  declared 
war  against  the  prince  of  Bengal,  who  assembled  a  pro- 
digious army  to  oppose  him.  However,  before  hostilities 
commenced,  Laval  found  means  to  withdraw  himself  to 
the  coast  of  Malabar,  from  whence  he  proceeded  to 
Calicut.  At  that  place  he  remained  eight  months,  wait- 
ing for  a  passage  in  a  Dutch  ship  ;  but  being  at  last  dis- 
appointed, he  travelled  to  Cochin,  where  he  had  the  mis- 
fortune to  be  taken  up  and  imprisoned  as  a  spy. 

At  last,  however,  he  made  his  escape  from  prison, 
and  fled  to  Goa  ;  but  fortune  was  not  yet  wearied  of  ex- 
erting her  malice  against  him  :  here  he  was  again  thrown 
into  prison,  and  confined  for  some  time.  By  his  address, 
as  well  as  the  justice  of  his  cause,  he  raised  up  some 
powerful  intercessors  among  the  Jesuits,  who,  at  length, 
procured  his  liberation  ;  and  sailing  for  Europe,  he  ar- 
rived in  safety  at  Rochelle,  on  the  16th  of  February, 
16)  1,  after  an  absence  of  nearly  ten  years,  in  which  he 
had  run  through  a  series  of  adventures  equally  danger 
,-9iis  and  distressing, 


339 


LOSS   BY   FIRE    OF   THE 

FRENCH  EAST-INDIA  COMPANY'S  VESSEL; 
THE  PRINCE. 

Bound  from  V Orient  to  Pondicherry,  July  26$,  1752; 

(By  M.  D.  LA  FOND,) 
One  of  the  Lieutenants  of  that  Ship, 


.  HE  French  East-India  Company's  ship,  The 
Prince,  commanded  by  M.  Morin,  and  bound  to  Pon- 
dicherry,  weighed  anchor  on  the  19th  of  February, 
1752,  from  the  harbor  of  L'Orient.  She  had  scarcely 
passed  the  island  of  St.  Michael,  when  the  wind  shift- 
ing, it  was  found  impossible  to  double  the  Turk  bank. 
The  utmost  efforts,  and  the  greatest  precautions,  coultl 
not  prevent  her  from  striking  on  the  bank,  in  such  a 
manner  that  the  mouths  of  the  guns  were  immersed  in 
the  water.  We  announced  our  misfortune  by  signals  of 
distress,  when  M.  de  Godehue,  the  commander  of  the 
port  of  L'Orient  came  on  board  to  animate  the  crew  by 
his  presence  and  his  orders.  All  the  chests,  and  other 
articles,  of  the  greatest  value,  were  removed  safely 
into  smaller  vessels  to  lighten  the  ship;  the  whole  night 
was  occupied  with  the  most  laborious  exertions.  At 
length  the  tide,  in  the  morning,  relieved  us  from  our 
dangerous  situation,  and  enabled  us  to  reach  the  road  of 
Port  Louis :  we  owed  the  preservation  of  the  ship  en- 
tirely to  the  prudent  directions  of  M.  de  Godeheu,  and 
the  measures  adopted  in  consequence.  The  ship  had 


340  LOSS   OF   THE   PRINCE. 

sprung  several  leaks  but  fortunately  our  pumps  kept  the 
wafer  under  :  half  the  cargo  was  taken  out  of  the  vessel, 
and  in  about  a  week  we  returned  to  L'Orient,  where  she 
was  entirely  unloaded.  She  was  then  careened  and 
caulked  afresh.  These  precautions  seemed  to  promise 
a  successful  voyage,  and  the  misfortune  we  had  already 
experienced  shewed  the  strength  of  the  vessel,  which 
fire  alone  appeared  capable  of  destroying. 

On  the  10th  of  June,  1752,  a  favorable  wind  carried 
?is  out  of  the  port,  but  after  a  fortunate  navigation  we 
met  with  a  disaster  of  which  the  strongest  expressions 
ran  convey  but  a  faint  idea.  In  this  narrative  I  shall 
confine  myself  to  a  brief  detail,  as  it  is  impossible  to 
recollect  all  the  circumstances. 

The  26th  of  July,  1752,  being  in  the  latitude  of  8 
deg.  30  min.  South,  and  in  longitude  5  deg.  West,  the 
wind  being  S.  W.  just  at  the  moment  of  taking  the  ob-  ' 
servation  of  the  meridian,  I  had  repaired  to  the  quarter, 
where  I  was  going  to  command,  when  a  man  informed 
me  that  a  smoke  was  seen  to  issue  from  the  pannel  of 
the  greater  hatchway. 

Up  m  this  information  the  first  lieutenant,  who  kept 
the  koys  of  the  hold,  opened  all  the  hatchways,  to  dis- 
cover the  cause  of  an  accident,  the  slightest  suspicion  of 
which  frequently  causes  the  most  intrepid  to  tremble. 
The  captain,  who  was  at  dinner  in  the  great  cabin,  went 
upon  deck  and  gave  orders  for  extinguishing  the  fire. 
I  had  already  directed  several  sails  to  be  thrown  over- 
board, and  the  hatchways  to  be  covered  with  them, 
hoping,  by  these  means,  to  prevent  the  air  from  pene- 
trating into  the  hold.  I  had  even  proposed,  for  the 
greater  security,  to  let  in  the  water  between  decks,  to  the 
height  of  a  foot ;  but  the  air,  which  had  already  obtain- 
ed a  free  passage  through  the  opening  of  the  hatchways, 
produced  a  very  thick  smoke,  that  issued  forth  in 
abundance,  and  the  fire  continued  gradually  to  gain 
ground. 

The  captain  ordered  sixty  or  eighty  of  the  soldiers 
under  arms  to  restrain  the  crew,  and  prevent  the  confu- 
sion likely  to  ensue  in  such  a  critical  moment.  These 
precaution's  were  seconded  by  M.  de  la  Touche,  with 


LOSS   OP  THE    PRINCE.  341 

his  usual  fortitude  and  prudence.  That  hero  deserved  a 
better  op;'.0  unity  of  signalizing  himself,  and  had  des- 
tined his  soldiers  for  other  operations  more  useful  to  his 
country. 

All  hands  were  now  employed  in  getting  water  ;  not 
only  the  buckets,  but  likewise  all  the  pumps  were  kept 
at  work,  and  pipes  were  carried  from  them  into  the 
hold  :  even  the  water  in  the  jars  was  emptied  out.  The 
rapidity  of  the  fire,  however,  baffled  our  efforts  and 
augmented  the  general  consternation. 

The  captain  had  already  ordered  the  jrawl  to  be 
hoisted  overboard,  merely  because  it  was  in  the  way  ; 
four  men,  among  whom  was  the  boatswain,  took  pos- 
session of  it.  They  had  no  oars,  but  called  out  for 
some,  when  three  sailors  jumped  over  board  and  carried 
them  what  they  stood  so  much  in  need  of:  These  for- 
tunate fugitives  were  required  to  return  ;  they  cried  out 
that  they  had  no  rudder,  and  desired  a  rope  to  be  thrown 
them ;  perceiving  that  the  progress  of  the  flames  left 
them  no  other  resource  they  endeavored  to  remove  to  a 
distance  from  the  ship,  which  passed  them  iu  conse- 
quence of  a  breeze  that  sprung  up. 

AH  hands  were  still  busy  on  board  ;  the  impossibility 
of  escaping  seemed  to  encrease  the  courage  of  the  men. 
The  master  boldly  ventured  down  into  the  hold,  but  the 
heat  obliged  him  to  return  ;  he  would  have  been  burned 
if  a  great  quantity  of  water  had  not  been  thrown  over 
him.  Immediately  afterwards  the  flames  were  seen  to 
issue  with  impetuosity  from  the  great  pannel.  The  cap- 
tain ordered  the  boats  overboard,  but  fear  had  exhausted 
the  strength  of  the  most  intrepid.  The  jolly-boat  was 
fastened  at  a  certain  height,  and  preparations  were  made 
for  hoisting  her  over  ;  but  to  complete  our  misfortunes, 
the  fire,  which  increased  every  moment,  ascended  the 
mainmast  with  such  violence  and  rapidity  as  to  burn  the 
tackle;  the  boat  pitching  upon  the  starboard  guns  fell 
bottom  upwards,  and  we. lost  all  hopes  of  raising  her 
again. 

We  now  perceived  that- we  had  nothing  to  hope  from 
human  aid,  but  only  from  the  mercy  of  the  Almighty. 
Dejection  filled  every  mind ;  the  consternation  becams 


3*Z  LOSS   OF   THE   PRINCE. 

general ;  nothing  but  sighs  and  groans  were  l^ard  ;  even 
the  animals  we  had  on  board  uttered  the  m*  ttf  dreadful 
ft ries.  Every  one  began  to  raise  his  heart  and  hands 
towards  heaven  ;  and  in  the  certainty  of  a  speedy  death 
each  was  occupied  only  with  the  melancholy  alternative 
between  the  two  elements  ready  to  devour  us 

The  chaplain,  who  was  on  the  quarter-deck,  gave  the 
general  absolution,  and  went  into  the  gallery  to  impart 
the  same  to  the  unhappy  wretches  who  had  already  com- 
mitted themselves  to  the  mercy  of  the  waves.  What  a 
horrible  spectacle  !  Each  was  occupied  only  in  throwing 
overboard  whatever  promised  a  momentary  preserva- 
tion ;  coops,  yards,  spars,  every  thing  that  came  to  hand 
tvas  seized  in  despair  and  disposed  of  in  the  same  man- 
ner. The  confusion  was  extreme ;  some  seemed  to  an- 
ticipate death  by  jumping  into  the  sea,  others,  by  swim- 
xomg>  gained  the  fragments  of  the  vessel ;  while  the 
shrouds,  the  yards,  and  ropes,  along  the  side  of  the  ship 
were  covered  with  the  crew  who  were  suspended  from 
them,  as  if  hesitating  between  two  extremes,  equally 
imminent  and  equally  terrible. 

Uncertain  for  what  fate  Providence  intended  me,  I 
saw  a  father  snatch  his  son  from  the  flames,  embrace 
him,  throw  him  into  the  sea,  then  following  himself,  they 
perished  in  each  others  embrace.  I  had  ordered  the 
ft  elm  to  be  turned  to  starboard  ;  the  vessel  heeled,  and 
this  maoeuvre  preserved  us  fof  some  time  on  that  side, 
while  the  fire  raged  on  the  larboard  side  from  stem  ta 
stern. 

Till  this  moment  I  had  been  so  engaged  that  my 
thoughts  were  directed  $Hp  to  the  preservation  of  the 
£hip;  now,  however,  the  horrors  of  a  twofold  death 
presented  themselves  ;  but  through  the  kindness  of 
heaven,  iny  fortitude  never  forsook  me.  I  looked  round 
and  found  rnyself  alone  upon  the  deck.  I  went  into  the 
round,  house,  where  1  metM  dela  Touche,  who  regard- 
ed death  with  the  same  heroism  that  procured  him  suc- 
cess in  India.  "Farewell,  my  brother  and  my  friend^" 
•aid  he,  embracing  me — "  Why,  where  are  you  going  ?" 
replied  I.  "  I  am  going,  (said  he,)  tocoirfort  my  friend 
He  spoke  of  the  Captain,  who  was  over- 


LOSS  0V  THE  PRINCE.  343 

Whelmed  \\L$\  grief  at  the  melancholy  fate  of  his  female 
cousins,  who  were  passengers  on  board  his  ship,  and 
whom  he  had  persuaded  to  trust  themselves  to  sea  in 
hen  coops,  after  having  hastily  stripped  off  their  clothes, 
while  some  of  the  sailors,  swimming  with  one  hand,  en- 
deavored to  support  them  with  the  other. 

The  yards  and  masts  were  covered  with  men  struggling 
with  the  waves  around  the  vessel ;  many  of  them  per- 
ished every  moment  by  the  balls  discharged  by  the  guns 
in  consequence  of  the  flames  ;  a  third  species  of  death 
that  augmented  the  horrors  by  which  we  were  surround- 
ed. With  a  heart  oppressed  with  anguish,  I  turned  my 
eyes  away  from  the  sea.  A  moment  afterwards  I  enter- 
ed the  starboard  gallery,  and  saw  the  flames  rushing  with 
a  horrid  noise  through  the  windows  of  the  great  cabin 
and  the  round-house.  The  fire  approached,  and  was 
ready  to  consume  me  ;  my  presence  was  then  entirely 
useless  for  the  preservation  of  the  vessel,  or  the  relief 
of  my  fellow- sufferers. 

In  this  dreadful  situation  I  thought  it  my  duty  to  pro- 
long my  life  a  few  hours,  in  order  to  devote  them  to  my 
God.  I  stripped  off  my  clothes  with  the  intention  of 
rolling  down  a  yard,  one  end  of  which  touched  the  water ; 
but  it  was  so  covered  with  unfortunate  wretches,  whom 
the  fear  of  drowning  kept  in  that  situation,  that  I  tunv 
bled  over  them  and  fell  into  the  sea,  recommending  my* 
self  to  the  mercy  of  Providence.  A  stout  soldier  who 
was  drowning,  caught  hold  of  me  in  this  extremity  ;  I 
employed  every  exertion  to  disengage  myself  from  him, 
but  without  effect  I  suffered  myself  to  sink  under  the 
water,  but  he  did  not  quit  hjptiold  ;  I  plunged  a  second 
time,  and  he  still  held  me  firmly  in  his.  grasp ;  he  was 
incapable  of  reflecting  that  my  death  would  rather  hasten 
his  own  than  be  of  service  to  him.  At  length,  after 
struggling  a  considerable  time,  his  strength  was  exhaust- 
ed in  consequence  of  the  quantity  of  water  he  had  swal- 
lowed, and  perceiving  that  I  was  sinking  the  third  time, 
and  fearing  lest  I  should  drag  him  to  the  bottom  along 
with  me,  he  loosed  his  hold  That  he  might  net  catch 
me  again  I  dived  and  rose  a  considerable  distance 
the  spot, 


344  LOSS   OF  THE   PRINCE. 

This  first  adventure  rendered  me  more  cautious  in 
future ;  I  even  shunned  the  dead  bodies,  which  were  so 
numerous,  that,  to  make  a  free  passage,  I  was  obliged 
to  push  them  aside  with  one  hand,  while  I  kept  myself 
above  water  with  the  other.  I  imagined  that  each  of 
them  was  a  man  who  would  assuredly  seize  and  involve 
me  in  his  own  destruction.  My  strength  began  to  fail, 
and  I  was  convinced  of  the  necessity  of  resting,  when  I 
met  a  piece  of  the  flag  staff.  To  secure  it  I  put  my  arm 
through  the  noose  of  the  rope,  and  swam  as  well  as  I 
was  able  ;  I  perceived  a  yard  floating  before  me,  when 
I  approached  and  seized  it  by  the  end.  At  the  other  ex- 
tremity, I  saw  a  young  man,  scarcely  able  to  support 
himself,  and  speedily  relinquished  this  feeble  assistance 
that  announced  a  certain  death.  The  sprit-sail  yard  next 
appeared  in  sight;  it  was  covered  with  people,  and  I 
durst  not  take  a  place  upon  it  without  asking  permission, 
which  my  unfortunate  companions  cheerfully  granted. 
Some  were  quite  naked,  and  others  in  their  shirts  ;  they 
expressed  their  pity  at  my  situation,  and  their  misfor- 
tune put  my  sensibility  to  the  severest  test. 

M  Morin  and  M.  de  La  Touche,  both  so  worthy  of  a 
better  fate,  never  quitted  the  vessel,  and  were  doubtless 
buried  in  its  ruins.  Whichever  way  I  turned  my  eyes, 
the  most  dismal  sights  presented  themselves.  The  main- 
mast, burnt  away  at  the  bottom,  fell  overboard,  killing 
some,  and  affording  to  others  a  precarious  resource. 
This  mast  I  observed  covered  with  people,  and  abandon- 
ed to  the  impulse  of  the  waves  ;  at  the  same  moment  I 
perceived  two  sailors  upon  a  hen-coop  with  some  planks, 
and  cried  out  to  them,  "  My  lads,  bring  the  planks,  and 
swim  to  me."  They  approached  me,  accompanied  by 
several  others  ;  and  each  taking  a  plank,  which  we  used 
as  oars,  we  paddled  along  upon  the  yard,  and  joined 
those  who  had  taken  possession  of  the  main-mast. 

So  many  changes  of  situation  presented  only  new 
spectacles  of  horror.  I  fortunately  here  met  with  our 
chaplain,  who  gave  me  absolution.  We  were  in  num- 
ber, about  eighty  persona,  who  were  incessantly  threaten- 
ed with  destruction  by  the  balls  from  the  ship's  guns.  I 
likewise  on  the  mast,  two  young  ladies,  by  whose 


,OSS   OF   THE   PRINCZ.  345 

piety  I  was  much  edified ;  there  were  six  females  on 
board,  and  the  other  four  were  in  all  probability,  already 
drowned  or  burned.  Our  chaplain,  in  this  dreadful  situ- 
ation, melted  the  most  obdurate  hearts  by  his  discourse 
and  the  example  he  gave  of  patience  and  resignation. 
Seeing  Mm  slip  from  the  mast  and  fall  into  the  sea,  as  I 
was  behind  him,  I  lifted  him  up  again.  "Let  me  gor 
(said  he,)  I  arn  full  of  water,  and  it  is  only  a  prolonga- 
tion of  my  sufferings."  "  No,  my  friend,  (said  I,)  we 
will  die  together  when  my  strength  forsakes  me."  In 
his  pious  company  I  awaited  death  with  perfect  resigna- 
tion. I -remained  in  this  situation  three  hours,  and  saw 
one  of  the  ladies  fall  off  the  mast  with  fatigue,  and  per- 
ish ;  she  was  too  far  distant  for  me  to  give  her  any  as- 
sistance. 

When  I  least  expected  if,  I  perceived  the  yawl  close 
to  us  ;  it  was  then  five  o'clock  P.  M.  I  cried  out  to  the 
men  in  her  that  I  was  their  lieutenant,  and  begged  per- 
mision  to  share  our  misfortune  with  them.  They  gave 
me  leave  to  come  on  board,  upon  condition  that  I  would 
swim  to  them,  ft  was  their  interest  to  have  a  conductor, 
in  order  to  discover  land  ;  and  for  this  reason  my  compa- 
ny was  too  necessary  for  them  to  refuse  my  request. 
The  condition  they  imposed  upon  me  was  perfectly  rea- 
sonable ;  they  acted  prudently  not  to  approach,  as  the 
others  would  have  been  equally  anxious  to  enter  their 
little  bark ;  and  we  should  all  have  been  buried  together 
in  a  watery  grave.  Mustering,  therefore,  all  my  strength, 
I  was  so  fortunate  as  to  reach  the  boat.  Soon  afterwards 
I  observed  the  pilot  and  master,  whom  I  had  left  on  the 
main-mast,  follow  my  example ;  they  swam  to  the  yawl, 
and  we  took  them  in.  This  little  bark  was  the  means  of 
saving  the  ten  persons  who  alone  escaped,  out  of  nearly 
three  hundred. 

The  flames  still  continued  to  consume  our  ship,  from 
which  we  were  not  more  than  half  a  league  distant ;  one 
too  great  proximity  might  prove  pernicious,  and  we, 
therefore,  proceeded  a  little  to  windward.  Not  long 
after,  the  fire  communicated  to  the  powder-room,  and  it 
is  impossible1  to  describe  the  noise  with  which  our  vessel 
blew  up.  A  thick  cloud  intercepted  tbe  light  g£  the  sun: 


348  LOSS   OF   THE    PRINCE; 

amidst  this  horrible  darkness  we  could  perceive  nothing 
but  large  pieces  of  flaming  wood,  projected  into  the  air,  and 
whose  fall  threatened  to  dash  to  pieces  numbers  of  un- 
happy wretches  still  struggling  with  the  agonies  of  death. 
We,  ourselves,  were  not  quite  out  of  danger ;  it  was  not 
impossible  but  that  one  of  the  flaming  fragments  might 
reach  us,  and  precipitate  our  frail  vessel  to  the  bottom, 
The  Almighty,  however,  preserved  us  from  that  misfor- 
tune ;  but  what  a  spectacle  now  presented  itself !  The 
vessel  had  disappeared ;  its  fragments  covered  the  sea  to 
a  great  distance,  and  floated  in  all  directions  with  our  un- 
fortunate companions,  whose  despair,  and  whose  lives, 
had  been  terminated  together  by  their  fall.  We  saw 
some  completely  suffocated,  others  mangled,  half-burn- 
ed, and  still  preserving  sufficient  life  to  be  sensible  of  the 
accumulated  horrors  of  their  fate. 

Through  the  mercy  of  heaven,  I  retained  my  forti- 
tude, and  proposed  to  make  towards  the  fragments  of 
the  wreck  to  seek  provisions,  and  to  pick  up  any  other 
articles  we  might  want.  We  were  totally  unprovided, 
and  were  in  danger  of  perishing  with  famine ;  a  death 
more  tedious  and  more  painful  than  that  of  our  com- 
panions. We  found  several  barrets,  in  which  we  hoped 
to  find  a  resource  against  this  pressing  necessity,  but  dis- 
covered to  our  mortification  that  it  was  part  of  the  pow- 
der which  had  been  thrown  overheard  during  the  con- 
flagration. 

Night  approached,  but  we  providentially  found  a  cask 
of  brandy,  about  fifteen  pounds  of  salt  pork,  a  piece  of 
scarlet  cloth,  twenty  yards  of  liaen,  a  dozen  of  pipe- 
staves,  and  a  few  ropes.  It  grew  dark,  and  we  could  not 
wait  till  day -light  in  our  present  situation,  without  expos- 
ing ourselves  a  hundred  times  to  destruction  among  the 
fragments  of  the  wreck,  from  which  we  had  not  yet 
been  able  to  disengage  ourselves.  We  therefore  rowed 
away  from  them  as  speedily  as  possible  in  order  to 
attend  to  the  equipment  of  our  new  vessel.  Every  one 
fell  to  work  with  the  utmost  assiduity  ;  we  employed 
every  thing,  and  took  off  the  inner  sheathing  of  our 
boat  for  the  sake  of  the  planks  arid  nails ;  we  drew  from 
the  linen  what  thread  we  wanted  j  fortunately  one  of  the 


LOSS   OF   THE   PRINCE.  347 

Bailors  had  two  needles  ;  our  scarlet  cloth  served  us  for 
a  sail,  an  oar  for  a  mast,  and  a  plank  for  a  rudder.  Not- 
withstanding the  darkness,  our  equipment  was  in  a  short 
time  as  complete,  as  circumstances  would  permit.  The 
only  difficulty  that  remained  was,  how  to  direct  our 
course  ;  we  had  neither  charts  nor  instruments,  and 
were  nearly  two  hundred  leagues  from  land.  We  resign- 
ed ourselves  to  the  mercy  of  the  Almighty,  whose  assis- 
tance we  implored  in  fervent  prayers. 

At  length  we  raised  our  sail,  and  a  favorable  wind 
removed  us  for  ever  from  the  floating  corpses  of  our 
unfortunate  companions.  In  this  manner  we  proceeded 
eight  days  and  eight  nights,  without  perceiving  land,  ex- 
posed stark  naked  to  the  burning  rays  of  the  sun  by 
day,  and  to  intense  cold  by  night.  The  sixth  day  a 
shower  of  rain  inspired  us  with  the  hope  of  some  relief 
from  the  thirst  by  which  we  were  tormented :  we  en- 
deavored to  catch  the  little  water  that  fell  in  our  mouths 
and  hands.  We  sucked  our  sail,  but  having  been  before 
soaked  in  sea- water  it  communicated  the  bitter  taste  of 
he  latter  to  the  rain  which  it  received.  If,  however, 
the  rain  had  been  more  violent,  it  might  have  abated  the 
wind  that  impelled  us,  and  a  calm  would  have  been 
attended  with  inevitable  destruction. 

That  we  might  steer  our  course  with  the  greater  cer- 
ainty,  we  consulted  every  day,  the  rising  and  setting  of 
:he  sun  and  moon  ;  and  the  stars  shewed  us  what  wind 
we  ought  to  take.  A  very  small  piece  of  salt  pork  fur- 
nished us  one  meal  in  the  twenty  four  hours  :  arid  from 
this  even  we  were  obliged  to  desist  on  the  fourth  day,  on 
account  of  the  irritation  of  the  blood,  which  it  occasion- 
ed. Our  only  beverage  was  a  glass  of  brandy,  from 
time  to  time ;  but  that  liquor  burned  our  stomachs  with- 
out allaying  our  thirst.  We  saw  abundance  of  flying 
fish,  but  the  impossibility  of  catching  them  rendered 
our  misery  still  more  acute  ;  we  were,  therefore,  oblig- 
ed to  be  contented  with  our  provisions.  The  uncertain- 
ty with  respect  to  our  fate,  the  want  of  food,  and  the 
agitation  of  the  sea,  combined  to  derive  us  of  the 
rest,  .and  almost  plunged  us  into  despair.  Nature 
seemed  to  have  abandoned  her  functions  ;  a  fee- 


348  LOSS   OF  THE   PRINCE, 

ble  ray  of  hope  alone  cheered  our  minds  and  prevented 
us  from  envying  the  fate  of  our  deceased  compan- 
ions. 

I  passed  the  eighth  night  at  the  helm ;  I  remained  at 
my  post  more  than  ten  hours,  frequently  desiring  to  be 
relieved,  till  at  length  I  sunk  down  with  fatigue.  My 
miserable  comrades  were  equally  exhausted,  and  despair 
began  to  take  possession  of  our  souls.  At  last,  when 
just  perishing  with  fatigue,  misery,  hunger,  and  thirst, 
we  discovered  land,  by  the  first  rays  of  the  sun,  on 
Wednesday,  the  3d  of  August,  1752.  Only  those  who 
have  experienced  similar  misfortunes  can  form  an  ade- 
quate conception  of  the  change  which  this  discovery 
produced  in  our  minds.  Our  strength  returned,  and  we 
took  precautions  not  to  be  carried  away  by  the  cur- 
rents. At  two  P.  M.  we  reached  the  coast  of  Brazil, 
and  entered  the  bay  of  Tresson,  in  latitude  6  cleg. 

Our  first  care,  upon  setting  foot  on  shore,  was  to 
thank  the  Almighty  for  his  favors ;  we  threw  ourselves 
upon  the  ground,  and,  in  the  transports  of  our  joy, 
rolled  ourselves  in  the  sand.  Our  appearance  was  truly 
frightful,  our  figures  preserved  nothing  human  that  did 
not  more  forcibly  announce  our  misfortunes.  Some 
were  perfectly  naked,  others  had  nothing  but  shirts 
that  were  rotten  and  torn  to  rags,  and  I  bad  fastened 
found  my  waist  a  piece  of  scarlet  cloth,  in  order  to  ap- 
pear at  the  head  of  my  companions.  We  had  not 
yet,  however,  arrived  at  the  end  of  all  our  hardships ; 
although  rescued  from  the  greatest  of  our  dangers,  that 
of  an  uncertain  navigation,  we  were  still  tormented  by 
hunger  and  thirst,  and  in  cruel  suspense,  whether  we 
should  find  this  coast  inhabited  by  men  susceptible  of 
sentiments  of  compassion. 

We  were  deliberating  which  way  we  should  direct 
our  course,  when  about  fifty  Portuguese,  most  of 
whom  were  armed,  advanced  towards  us,  and  inquired 
the  reason  of  our  landing.  The  recital  of  our  misfor- 
tunes was  a  sufficient  answer,  at  once  announced  our 
wants,  and  strongly  claimed  the  sacred  rights  of  hospi- 
tality. Their  treasures  were  not  the  object  of  our  de- 
sire, tUe  necessities  of  life  were  all  that  we  wanted. 


LOSS    OP   THE    PRINCE.  349 

Touched  by  our  misfortunes,  they  blessed  the  power 
that  had  preserved  us,  and  hastened  to  conduct  us  to 
their  habitations.  Upon  the  way  we  came  to  a  river,  in- 
to which  all  my  companions  ran  to  throw  themselves,  in 
order  to  allay  their  thirst ;  they  rolled  in  the  water  with 
extreme  delight;  and  bathing  was  in  the  sequel  one  of 
the  remedies  of  which  we  made  the  most  frequent  use, 
and  which,  at  the  same  time  contributed  most  to  the 
restoration  of  our  health. 

The  principal  person  of  the  place  came  and  conduct- 
ed us  to  his  house,  about  half  a  league  distant  from  the 
place  of  our  landing.  Our  charitable  host  gave  us  linen 
shirts  and  trowsers,  and  boiled  sqme  fish,  the  water  of 
which  served  us  for  broth,  and  seemed  deiieious.  After 
this  frugal  repast,  though  sleep  was  equally  necessary, 
yet  we  prepared  to  render  solemn  thanks  to  the  Almigh- 
ty. Hearing  that,  at  the  distance  of  half  a  league,  there 
was  a  church  dedicated  to  St.  Michael,  we  repaired  thith- 
er, singing  praises  to  the  Lord,  where  we  presented  the 
homage  of  our  gratitude  to  Him  to  whom  we  were  so 
evidently  indebted  for  our  preservation.  The  badness  of 
the  road  had  fatigued  us  so  much  that  we  were  obliged 
to  rest  in  the  village  ;  our  misfortunes,  together  with  such 
an  edifying  spectacle,  drew  all  the  inhabitants  around  us, 
and  every  one  hastened  to  fetch  us  refreshments.  After 
resting  a  short  time  we  returned  to  our  kind  host,  who,  at 
night,  furnished  us  with  another  repast  of  fresh  fish.  As 
we  wanted  more  inyigoratmg  food  we  purchased  an  ox, 
which  we  had  in  exchange  for  twenty-five  quarts  of 
brandy. 

We  had  to  go  to  Paraibo,  a  journey  of  fifteen  leagues, 
barefoot,  and  without  any  hope  of  meeting  with  good 
provisions  on  the  way ;  we  therefore  took  the  precaution 
of  smoke- dry  ing  our  meat,  and  added  to  it  a  provision  of 
flour.  After  resting  three  clays  we  departed  under  an 
escort  of  three  soldiers.  We  proceeded  seven  leagues 
the  first  day,  and  passed  the  night  at  the  house  of  a  man. 
who  received  us  kindly.  The  next  evening,  a  sergeant, 
accompanied  by  twenty-nine  soldiers,  came  to  meet  us 
for  the  purpose  of  conducting  and  presenting  us  to  the 
commandant  of  the  fortress  ;  that  worthy  officer  received 
Ff 


f*5fc  i<083    OF   THE   PRISClfi. 

:KS  graciously,  gave  us  an  entertainment,  and  a  boat  to  g±> 
to  Paraibo.  It  was  midnight  when  we  arrived  at  that 
town  ;  a  Portuguese  captain  wras  waiting  to  present  us  to 
the  governor,  who  gave  us  a  gracious  reception,  and  fur- 
nished us  with  all  the  comforts  of  life.  We  there  repos- 
ed for  three  days,  but  being  desirous  of  reaching  Fer- 
pambuc  to  take  advantage  of  a  Portuguese  fleet  that  was 
expected  to  sail  every  clay,  in  order  to  return  to  Europe, 
.the  governor  ordered  a  corporal  to  conduct  us  thither. 
My  feet  were  so  lacerated  that  I  could  scarcely  stand, 
and  a  horse  ..was  therefore  provided  for  me. 

At  length  after  a  journey  of  four  days,  we  entered  the 
town  of  Fernambuc.  My  first  business  was  to  go,  with 
jny  people,  to  present  myself  to  the  general,  Joseph  de 
Correa,  who  condescended  to  give  me  an  audience  ;  after 
which  Don  Francisco  Miguel,  a  captain  of  a  king's  ship, 
took  us  in  his  boat  to  procure  us  the  advantage  of  saluting 
the  admiral  of  the  fleet,  Don  Juan  d'Acosta  de  Porito. 
During  the  fifty  days  that  v^e  remained  at  Fernambuc 
that  gentleman  never  ceased  to  load  me  with  new  favours 
and  civilities.  His  generosity  extended  to  all  my  com- 
panions in  misfortune,  some  of  to  whom  he  even  gave 
appointments  in  the  vessels  of  his  fleet. 

On  the  5th  of  October  we  set  sail,  and  arrived,  without 
any  accident,  at  Lisbon,  on  the  17th  of  December.  On 
the  2d  of  January  our  consul,  M.  du  Vernay,  procured 
me  a  passage  in  a  vessel  bound  to  Morlaix.  The  master 
and  myseKwent  on  board  together,  the  rest  of  my  com- 
panions being  distributed  among  other  ships.  I  arrived  at 
Morlaix  on  the  2d  of  February.  My  fatigues  obliged  me 
to  take  a  few  days  rest  in  that  place,  from  whence  I  re- 
paired on  the  10th  to  F  Orient,  overwhelmed  with  pover- 
ty, having  lost  all  that  I  possessed  in  the  world, 'after  a 
service  of  twenty -eight  years,  and  with  my  health  greatly 
impaired  by  tfee  hardships  I  had  endured. 


.;rVVRECK   OF   THE 

DEGRAVE  EAST-INDIAMA" 

,-  I  fie  CoasL  oj  Mad  n  ///?  Yf.a?  Yt: 

HE  Degr&ve  was  a  fine  ship  of  700  ions,  and 
carried  52  guns.  She  was  commanded  by  Captain 
William  Youncc,  passed  through  the  Downs  February, 
19,  1701,  and  proceeded  to  Fort  St,  Geroge,  in  the 
East-Indies,  where  she  safely  arrived.  From  thence 
she  sailed  to  Bengal,  where  her  captain  and  first  mate 
died,  in  consequence  of  which  the  command  devolved 
on  the  captain's,  son,  who  was  second  mate;  and  ?Ir. 
John  Benbow,  one  of  the  sons  of  Vice  Admiral  Ben  bow, 
who  had  gone  out  in  quality  of  fourth  mate  from  Ben- 
gal. They  sailed  for  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  but  in 
going  out  of  the  river  the  ship  ran  aground,  and  stuck 
fast ;  she  floated  again  the  next  high  title,  and  put  to  sea 
with  little  or  no  damage,  as  was  then  imagined  ;  but  soon 
after  she  was  found  so  leaky  that  two  chain- pumps  were 
obliged  to  be  kept  continually  going.  In  this  state  the 
crew  sailed  two  month?  before  they  reached  the  island 
of  St.  Mauritius,  inhabited  by  the  Dutch,  who  received 
them  kindly,  and  gave  them  all  the  assistance  in  their 
power,  permitting  them  to  fit  up  a  tent  on  shore, 
into  which  they  brought  the  greatest  part '  of  the  car- 
go, having  unladen  the  ship  in  order  to  search  for  the 
leak,  which,  however,  they  were  unable  to  find'  After 
remaining  about  a  month  at  the  island  of  Mauritius,  and 
taking  en  board  about 'fifty  lascars,  they  sailed  directly 
for  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  There  were  then  about 
170  hands  on  board,  and  though  the  lascars  were  not  of 
much  service,  in  poict  of  navigation,  yet  they  were  of 


3S#  LOSS    OF   THE    DEGRAVJ?. 

great  utility,  in  relieving  the  English  seamen  from  the 
htJbror  of  pumping.  This  resolution,  thus  rashly  taken, 
«cff  putting  to  sea  before  they  had  stopped,  or  even  dis- 
covered the  leak,  proved  fatal  to  them.  In  a  few  days 
the  water  gained  upon  them  to  such  a  degree,  that,  not- 
withstanding the  pumps  were  kept  going  day  and  night, 
it  was  with  the  utmost  exertions  that  they  kept  the  ves- 
sel above  water,  though  they  were  still  COO  leagues 
iiv>m  their  intended  port. 

The  ship's  coinpar.y  believing  thai  common  danger 
put  them  all  on  an  equality,  represented  to  captain 
Young,  that  his  design  of  proceeding  to  the  Cape  was 
become  Impracticable;  and  that,  therefore,  the  wisest 
step  that  could  be  taken,  was  to  make  the  nearest  land. 
HTliich  was  that  of  Madagascar,  to  the  southward  of 
v/hich  they  had  sailed  about  a  hundred  leagues.  The 
captain  complied  with  their  advice,  and  endeavored  to 
>  an  the  ship  on  shore,  but  that  was  found  impracticable 
likewise;  they,  therefore,  when  within  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  of  the  coast,  first  let  go  an  anchor,  then  cut  d&vm 
;*!!  the  masts  and  rigging,  and  threw  their  guns  and 
goods  overboard,  in  the  hope  of  making  the  ship  swim 
r.earcr.  But  this  being  also  found  impossible,  and  hav- 
jng  already  lost  their  long  boat  and  pinnace,  they  resolv- 
ed to  make  a  raft,  which  bicy  did  in  the  night,  and  the 
next  morning  Mr.  Pratt,  the  chief  mate,  with  four  men, 
went  on  shore,  in  a  little  boat,  wath  a  rope,  by  which 
<hey  proposed  to  warp  the  raft.  This  boat  was  staved 
to  pieces  before  it  reached  the  land,  but  the  men  escaped 
sad  secured  the  rope,  which  brought  the  raft  on  shore 
T?Hh  the  rest  of  the  ship's  company,  excepting  the  cap- 
tain, who  remained  last  on  board  the  ship,  and  did  riot 
leave,  her  till  he  found  she  began  to  go  to  pieces,  and 
then  he  threw  himself  into  the  sea  and  swam  ashore. 
The  crew  were  quickly  made  prisoners  by  the  king  of 
that  part  of  the  island,  who  carried  them  fifty  miles  up 
into  the  country,  where  they  found  a  captain  Drummond, 
and  a  captain  Stewart,  with  a  few  of  their  ship's  crew, 
ki  the  same  situation  with  themselves,  and  who  sopn 
let  them  into  a  perfect  knowledge  of  their  situation,  by 
assuring  them  that  the  king  intended  to  make  them  serve 


LOSS    OF   THE   DEGRAVE.  353 

him  iti  his  wars,  and  would  never  permit  them  to  return 
to  Europe ;  which  intelligence,  as  may  well  be  imagin- 
ed, struck  them  with  the  utmost  consternation. 

In  this  distress  the  captains  Drumrnond.  Stewart,  and 
Young,  held  a  consultation  in  conjunction  with  Mr. 
Pratt  and  Mr.  Benbow,  in  which  captain  Drummond  pro- 
posed, as  the  only  expedient  by  which  they  could  recov- 
er their  liberty,  to  seize  the  black  king  and  inarch  off 
with  him  prisoner  into  some  other  province  of  the  isl- 
and, where  ships  frequently  came.  Mr.  Benbow  warm- 
ly espoused  this  proposal  and  assisted  with  great  cour- 
age in  the  execution  of  it,  which  was  performed  with 
more  ease  than  was  expected  ;  and  the  king,  his  son, 
and  his  queen  were  made  prisoners,  but  the  queen  was 
released  by  captain  Young,  from  a  motive  of  compas- 
sion. It  is  not  very  easy  to  conceive  a  bolder  exterprize 
than  this,  where  between  60  and  60  white  people,  and 
not  above  half  these  armed,  carried  off  a  black  prince 
out  of  the  midst  of  his  capital,  and  in  the  sight  of  some 
thousands  of  his  subjects,  better  armed  than  themselves  ^ 
who  were,  notwithstanding^  restrained  from  firing  upon 
them  by  captain's  Young's  threatening  to  kill  their  king 
if  they  did,  They  were,  however,  guilty  of  great  mis- 
management afterwards,  for  upon  a  proposal  made  by 
the  negroes  to  give  them  six  guns  for  their  king,  it  was 
agreed  to  deliver  him  up,  on  a  supposition  that  the 
blacks  would  then  follow  them  no  further,  and  this,  not- 
withstanding Mr.  Benbow  strongly  opposed  it,  and  shew- 
ed them  the  mischievous  consequences  with  which  such 
an  injudicious  measure  must  be  attended.  The  king 
being  given  up,  the  blacks  still  contiaued  to  follow 
them,  though  at  a  distance,  till  at  length  it  was  agreed 
to  give  up  the  prince  too,  imagining  that  this  would  put 
and  end  to  the  pursuit.  They,  hevvever,  took  with  them 
three  persons,  who,  as  they  were  informed  by  the  blacks, 
were  three  of  the  principal  men  in  the  country,  by  way 
of  hostages.  Two  of  the£"e  soon  made  their  escape, 
and  the  blacks  not  only  continued  to  pursue,  but  even 
fired  upon  them,  which  they  had  not  done  before.  The 
weakness  of  their  own  conduct,  and  the  wisdom  of 


354  LOSS   OF   THE   DEGRAVE, 

Mr.  J3enbows's  advice,  was  now  apparant  to  every  one ; 
and  as  it  was  obvious  that  they  had  no  chance  left  but  to 
fight,  they  began  to  arrange  their  little  army  in  order  of 
hat  tie.  Thirty  six  armed  men  were  divided  into  four 
bodies,  commanded  by  the  three  captains  and  Mr.  Ben- 
)3ow,  but  after  an  engagement  that  lasted  from  noon  till 
six  o'clock  in  the  evening,  it  was  agreed  lo  treat.  The 
negroes  demanded  their  arms,  promising  them  their  lib- 
erty on  that  condition.  This  proposition,  though  of  such 
a  mischievous  tendency,  and  vigorously  opposed  by  Mr. 
JBenbow,  was  accepted  at  the  persuasion  of  captain  Young. 
But  when  it  came  to  be  put  in  execution,  captains  Drum- 
inond  and  Stewart,  with  four  or  five  of  their  crew,  refus- 
ed^to  deliver  up  their  arms,  and  marched  off  unperceived 
in  the  night,  accompanied  by  Mr.  Uenbow,  and  arrived 
safe  at  port  Dauphin.  The  rest  were  cruelly  murdered, 
excepting  Robert  Drury,  a  boy  fifteen  or  sixteen  years 
old,  whom  they  preserved  and  made  a  slave.  Mr.  Ben,- 
bow,  after  remaining  several  years  among  the  Negroes, 
where  he  lived  after  their  manner,  and  went  naked,  esca- 
ped on  board  a  Dutch  ship,  the  captain  of  which  ha$  been 
well  acquainted  with  his  father,  the  Admiral,  and  for  his 
sake  treated  him  with  great  kindness  and  respect.  He 
arrived  safe  ia  England,  where  he  lived  many  years,  and 
composed  a  work  entitled — "  A  Description  of  the  South 
part  of  the  Island  of  Madagascar," — which  was  a  very  cu- 
rious and  accurate  performance,  and  therefore  frequently 
borrowed  by  his  friends,  with  some  of  whom  it  still  re- 
mains ;  nor  have  the  family,  after  the  strictest 
Been  able  to  retrieve  it. 


355 


AN   EXTRAORDINARY 

FAMINE  IN  THE  AMERICAN  SHIP  PEGGY, 

On  her  return  from  the  Azores  to  New-York,  in  1765. 

_T  AMINE  frequently  leads  men  to  the  commis- 
sion of  the  most  horrible  excesses :  insensible,  on  such 
occasions,  to  the  appeals  of  nature  and  reason,  man  as- 
sumes the  character  of  a  beast  of  prey  ;  he  is  deaf  te 
every  representation,  and  coolly  meditates  the  death  of 
his  fellow-creature. 

One  of  these  scenes,  so  afflicting  to  humanity,  was, 
in  the  year  1765,  exhibited  in  the  brigantine  the  Peggy, 
David  Harrison,  commander,  freighted  by  certain  mer- 
chants of  New-York,  and  bound  to  the  Azores.  She 
arrived  without  accident  at  Fayal,  one  of  those  islands, 
and  having  disposed  of  her  cargo,  took  on  board  a 
lading  of  wine  and  spirits.  *On  the  24th  of  October, 
of  the  same  year,  she  set  sail  on  her  return  to  New- 
York. 

On  the  29th,  the  wind,  which  had  till  then  been  favor- 
able, suddenly  shifted.  Violent  storms,  which  succeed- 
ed each  other,  almost  without  interruption,  during  the 
month  of  November,  did  much  damage  to  the  vessel. 
In  spite  of  all  the  exertions  of  the  crew,  and  the  experi- 
ence of  the  captain,  the  masts  went  by  the  board,  ai\3 


v/56  AN   EXTRAORDINARY   FAMINE 

all  the  sails,  excepting  one,  were  tore  to  rags  ;  and,  to  add 
to  their  distress,  several  leaks  were  discovered  in  the 
hold. 

At  the  beginning  of  December  the  wind  abated  a  little, 
but  the  vessel  was  driven  out  of  her  course  ;  and,  desti- 
tute of  masts,  sails,  and  rigging,  she  was  perfectly  un- 
manageable, and  drifted  to  and  fro  at  the  mercy  of  the 
waves.  This,  however,  was  the  smallest  evil ;  another 
of  a  much  more  alarming  nature  soon  manifested  itself. 
Upon  examining  the  state  of  the  provisions,  they  were 
found  to  be  almost  totally  exhausted.  In  this  deplora- 
ble situation  the  crew  had  no  hope  of  relief  but  from 
chance. 

A  few  days  after  this  unpleasant  discovery  ^  two  ves- 
sels were  descried  early  one  morning,  and  a  transient 
ray  of  hope  cheered  the  unfortunate  crew  of  the  Peggy. 
The  sea  ran  so  high  as  to  prevent  captain  Harrison  from 
approaching  the  ships,  which  were  soon  out  of  sight. 
The  disappointed  seamen,  who  were  in  want  of  every 
thing,  then  fell  upon  the  wine  and  brandy  with  which  the 
ship  was  laden.  They  allotted  to  the  captain  two 
small  jars  of  water,  each  containing  about  a  gallon, 
being  the  remainder  of  their  stock.  Some  days  elaps- 
ed, during  which  the  men,  in  some  measure,  appeased 
the  painful  cravings  of  hunger  by  incessant  intoxica- 
tion. 

On  the  fourth  day,  a  ship  was  observed  bearing  to- 
wards them  in  full  sail :  no  time  was  lost  in  making 
signals  of  distress,  and  the  crew  had  the  inexpressible 
satisfaction  to  perceive  that  they  were  answered.  The 
sea  was  sufficiently  calm  to  permit  the  two  vessels  to 
approach  each  other.  The  strangers  seemed  much 
affected  by  the  account  of  their  sufferings  and  misfor- 
tunes, and  promised  them,  a  certain  quantity  of  biscuit ; 
but  it  was  not  immediately  sent  on  board,  the  captain 
alleging,  as  an  excuse  for  the  delay,  that  he  had  just  be- 
gan a  nautical  observation,  which  he  was  desirous  to 
finish.  However  unreasonable  such  a  pretext  appeared, 
under  the  present  circumstances,  the  famished  crew  of 
the  Peggy  was  obliged  to  submit.  The  time  mentioned 


IN   THE    AMERICAN    SHIP    PEGGY.  3§f 

by  the  captain  had  nearly  expired,  when,  to  (heir  ex- 
treme mortification,  the  latter,  regardless  of  his  promise, 
crowded  all  his  sails  and  bore  a^  ay.  No  language  is  ad- 
equate to  describe  the  despair  and  consternation  which 
then  overwhelmed  the  crew.  Enraged,  and  destitute  of 
hope,  they  fell  upon  whatever  they  had  spared  till  then. 
The  only  animals  that  remained  on  board  were  a  couple 
of  pigeons  and  a  cat,  which  were  devoured  in  an  instant. 
The  only  favor  they  she\ved  the  captain  was  to  reserve 
for  him  the  head  of  the  cat.  He  afterwards  declared, 
that  however  disgusting  it  would  have  been  on  any 
other  occasion,  he  thought  it  at  that  moment,  a  treat  ex* 
quisitcly  delicious.  The  unfortunate  men  then  support- 
ed their  existence  by  living  on  oil,  candles,  and  leather, 
and  these  were  entirely  consumed  by  the  28th  of  De- 
cember. 

From  that  day  until  the  13th  of  January,  it  is  impos- 
sible to  tell  in  what  manner  they  subsisted.  Captain 
Harrison  had  been  for  some  time  unable  to  leave  his 
cabin,  being  confined  to  his  bed  by  a  severe  fit  of  the 
gout.  On  the  last  mentioned  day,  the  sailors  went  to 
him  in  a  body,  with  the  mate  at  their  head  ;  the  latter 
acted  as  spokesman,  and  after  an  affecting  representa- 
tion of  the  deplorable  state  to  which  they  were  reduced, 
dtclarc-d  that  it  was  necessary  to  sacrifice  one  in  order 
to  save  the  rest ;  adding,  that  their  resolution  was  irre- 
vocably fixed,  and  that  they  intended  to  cast  lots  for  the 
victim. 

The  captain,  a  tender  and  humane  man,  could  not 
hear  such  a  barbarous  proposition  without  shuddering  ; 
he  represented  to  them  tha^  they  were  men,  and  ought 
to  regard  each  other  as  brethren  ;  that  by  such  an  as- 
sassination, they  would  lor  ever  consign  themselves  to 
universal  execration,  and  commanded  them,  with  all  his 
authority,  lo  relinquish  the  idea  cf  committing  such  an 
attrocious  crir*  Tlie  captain  was  silent ;  but  he  had 
spoken  to  '  a  men.  'jtl.^y  ?.ll  with  one  voice  replied, 
that  u  v»as  indifferent  to  them  whether  he  approved  of 
their  resolution  or  not ;  that  they  had  only  Acquainted 
him  with  it  out  of  respect,  actl  because  he  wu1.1^  ^^ 


3$  8  AN    EXTRAORDINARY    FAMINE 

the  same  risk  as  themselves  ;  adding  that,  in  the  ge; 
shisfortune,  all  command  arid  distinction  were  at  an  end. 
With  these  words  they  left  him,  and  went  upon  deck, 
where  the  lots  were  drawn. 

A  negro  who  was  on  board  and  belonged  to  captain 
Harrison,  was  the  victim.  It  is  more  than  probable  thai 
the  lot  had  been  consulted  only  for  the  sake  of  form, 
and  that  the  wretched  black  was  proscribed  the  moment 
the  sailors  first  formed  their  resolution.  They  instantly 
sacrificed  him.  One  of  the  crew  tore  out  his  liver  and 
devoured  it,  without  having  the  patience  to  dress  it,  by 
broiling,  or  in  any  other  manner.  He  was  soon  after- 
wards taken  ill,  and  died  the  following  day  in  convul- 
sions, and  with  all  the  symptoms  of  madness.  Some 
of  his  comrades  proposed  to  keep  his  body  to  live  upon, 
after  the  negro  was  consumed  ;  but  this  advice  was  re- 
jected by  the  majority,  doubtless  ©n  account  of  the  ma- 
lady which  had  carried  him  elf.  He  was,  therefore, 
throvvi:  overboard,  and  consigned  to  the  deep. 

The  captain,  in  the  intervals,  when  he  "was  the  least 
tormented  by  the  gout,  was  not  more  exempt  from  the 
attacks  of  hunger  than  the  rest  of  the  crew  ;  but  he 
resisted  all  the  persuasions  of  his  men  to  partake  of 
their  horrid  repast,  fie  contented  himself  with  the 
water  which  had  been  assigned  to  him,  mixing  with 
it  a  small  quantity  of  spirits,  and  this  was  the  only 
sustenance  he  took  daring  the  whole  period  of  his  dis- 
tress. 

The  body  of  the   negro,  equally  divided,  and  raten 
with  the  greatest  economy,  lasted  till  the  26th  of  Janua- 
ry.    On  the  29th,   the  famished  crew  deliberated  upon 
selecting  a  second  victim.     They  again  came  to  inform 
the  captain  of  their  intention,  arid  he  appeared  to  give 
his  consent,  fearing  lest  the  enraged  sailors  nr.'it  have 
recourse  to  the  lot  without  him.     They  left  it  with  him 
to    ^  - 
Thf    »-fcj 
smalt  pieces  of  p-: 

•atine,  folded  then? 


IN    THE    AMERICAN   SHIP   PEGGY.  359 

meanwhile,  preserved  an  awful  silence ;  each  eye  was 
iixed,  and  each  mouth  was  open,  while  terror  was 
strongly  impressed  upon  every  countenance.  With  a 
trembling  hand  one  of  them  drew  from  the  hat  the  fatal 
billet,  which  he  delivered  to  the  captain,  who  opened  it 
and  read  aloud  the  name  of  DAVID  F^ATT.  The  un- 
fortunate man  on  whom  the  lot  had  fallen  appeared  per- 
fectly resigned  to  his  fate  ;  "  My  friends,  (said  he  to  his 
companions.)  the  only  iavor  I  request  of  you,  is,  not  to 
keep  me  long  in  pain  ;  despatcn  me  as  speedily  as  you 
did  the  negro."  Then  turning  to  the  man  who  had  per- 
formed the  first  execution,  he  added  : — "  It  is  you  I 
choose  to  give  me  the  mortal  blow."  He  requested  an 
hour  to  prepare  himself  for  death,  to  which  his  com- 
rades could  only  reply  with  tears.  Meanwhile  com- 
passion, and  the  remonstrances  of  the  captain,  prevailed 
over  the  hunger  of  the  most  hard-hearted.  They  unani- 
mously resolved  to  defer  the  sacrifice  till  eleven  o'clock 
the  following  morning.  Such  a  short  reprieve  afforded 
very  litlle  consolation  to  PL.ATT. 

The  certainty  of  dying  the  next  day  made  such  a 
deep  impression  upon  his  mind,  that  his  body,  which, 
for  above  a  month,  had  withstood  the  almost  total  priva- 
tion of  nourishment,  sunk  beneath  it.  He  was  seized 
with  a  violent  fever,  and  his  state  was  so  much  aggra- 
vated by  a  delirium,  with  which  it  was  accompanied, 
that  some  of  the  sailors  proposed  to  kill  him  immedi- 
ately, in  order  to  terminate  his  sufferings.  The  majori- 
ty, however,  adhered  to  the  resolution  which  had  been 
taken  of  waiting  till  the  following  morning;. 

At  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning  of  the  30th  of  Jan- 
uary, a  large  fire  was  already  made  to  dress  the  limbs 
of  the  unfortunate  victim,  when  a  sail  was  descried  at  a 
distance.  A  favorable  wind  drove  her  towards  the  Peg- 
gy, and  she  proved  to  be  the  Susan,  returning  from  Vir- 
ginia and  bound  to  London. 

The  captain  could  not  refrain  from  tears  at  the  affect- 
ing account  of  the  sufferings  endured  by  the  famished 
crew.  He  lost  no  time  in  affording  them  relief,  supply- 
Ing  them  immediately  with  provisions  and  rigging,  and 


EXTRAORDINARY   FAMINE,   &C. 

offered  to  convoy  the  Peggy  to  London.  The  distance 
from  New-York,  their  proximity  to  the  English  coast, 
together  with  the  miserable  state  of  the  brigantine,  induc- 
ed the  two  captains  to  proceed  to  England.  The  voy- 
age was  prosperous  ;  only  two  men  died,  all  the  others 
gradually  recovered  their  strength.  Flatt  himself  was 
restored  to  perfect  health,  after  having  been  so  near  the 
jates  of  4eath, 


LOSS   OF   THE 

AMERICAN  SLOOP  THETIS, 

Which  mas  upset  in  a  gale  of  wind  on  the  23d  of  No- 
vember,  1809,  while  on  her  nay  from  New-Bed- 
ford to  Savannah,  in  which  29  out  of 
34  lives  were  lost. 

BY  CAPTAIN  JOHN  TABER,  JR. 


JL  SAILED  on  tire  16th  of  November,  1S09, 
from  New-Bedford  in  the  Sloop  Thetis  of  that  place 
bound  to  Savannah,  having  on  board  including  both 
crew  and  passengers  Thirty -Four  souls.  On  the  23d 
we  experienced  a  violent  gale  of  wind  from  the  N.  E. 
which  brought  us  too  under  a  trisail  after  having 
fecud  six  hours. — At  about  7  o'clock  P.  M.  we  were 
struck,  as  was  supposed,  by  a  white  squall  from  the 
N.  N.  W.  which  instantly  upset  us,  in  lat.  34,  8  lone;. 
76,  30 — the  sea  rushed  immediately  into  the  cabin, 
where  twenty- two  of  the  Passengers  perished,  or 
were  washed  from  the  deck  as  they  endeavored  to 
escape  out  of  the  companion  way — the  vessel  lay  upon 
her  beam  ends  upwards  of  48  hours,  during  which  time 
repeated  efforts  were  made  to  cut  away  the  mast,  but 
without  effect  it  being  almost  under  water  and  a  heavy 
sea  going,  1 2  of  us  being  all  who  survived  ;  on  the  second 
day,  we  lashed  ourselves  to  the  quarter  rail,  when  two 
inore  (Joseph  Crowell,  and  Joseph  Francis)  perished 
with  cold  and  fatigue.  On  the  3d  day  fhe  gale  abating, 
Gg 


LOSS    OF   THE    SLOOP   THETIS. 

and  the  weather  growing  moderate  we  cut  away  the 
shrouds,  and  cleared  away  the  mast  from  the  wreck  and 
she  nearly  righted  but  was  full  of  water.  On  the  6th  day 
after  being  on  the  wreck  we  saw  a  ship,  which  hoisted 
American  colors  and  bore  down  we  supppsed  to  our  as- 
sistance, but  at  sun-set  she  lost  sight  of  us ;  the  ship  stood 
by  us  all  ni&kt,  during  which  time  we  could  distinctly 
see  her,  though  it  is  believed  we  were  not  ^perceived  by 
hose  on  board  of  her:  about  day  light  a  severe  gale 
sprung  up,  and  the  ship  loosing  sight  of  us  proceeded 
-on  her  course  :  we  saw  several  other  vessels  pass  ;us,  but 
uot  near  enough  to  be  hailed.  On  the  7th  day  all  of 
us  except  one  man  was  washed  from  the  wreck  by  a  sea 
that  unexpectedly  broke  upon  us,  but  by  much  exertion 
four  of  us  regained  the  vessel,  when  I,  with  the  survivors, 
Asa  F.  Taber,  Amos  Rilley,  Braddock  ixifford,  and 
Thomas  Snow,  wrapped  ourselves  in  a  sail  spread  cross 
?!ie  quarter  rails,  and  there  continued  exposed  to  the 
inclemency  of  the  weather  and  to  the  voracious  Sharks 
vvhich  sported  around  us,  seeming  impatient  for  their 
pray,  one  of  our  companions  haying  already  fallen  a 
victim  to  their  jaws  before  our  sight;  in  this  situation  we 
^ontinued  17  days,  subsisting  wholly  on  raw  potatoes  and 
port  wine  much  damaged  by  the  salt  water,  when  Capt. 
Hudson  of  the  ship  ••William  and  Henry,  by  an  interposi- 
tion of  Heaven,  too  affecting  to  be  ever  forgotten  by  us, 
came  to  our  relief,  and  snatched  us  from  despair  and 
impending,  death  finding  us  cold, -hungry,  and  exhausted. 
He  clothed  and  fed  us,  and  by  the  tenderest  exercise  of 
hospitality,  and  kindness  cheered  us  back  to  life.  Not 
to  acknowledge  our  obligations  to  so  great  a  benefactor 
would  be  to  suppress  the  involuntary  effusions  of  great- 
ful  hearts.  For  myself  therefore,  as  well  as  in  behalf  of 
my  surviving  fellow  sufferers,  I  embrace  this  public  op- 
portunity of  renewedly  expressing  our  warmest  acknow- 
ledgments to  Capt.  Hudson  and  also  to  his  mates  and 
crew,  for  the  promptness  and  perseverance  which  they 
shewed  in  rescuing  us  from  a  watery  grave,  as  well  as 
their  humanity  and  attention  so  uniformly  continued  <o 
us  till  our  arrival  in  the  Fort  of  Charleston,  Scuth- 
Carolina, 


LOSS  OP  THE.  SLOOP  THETIS          SC.J 
NAME 3  OF  THE  PERSONS  LOST, 

Samuel  Whig,  (Nathaniel  Procter  and  Samuel  Prod*5 :, 
Brothers)  Traders — Joseph  Terry,  Urial  Sherrnrjn,  Na- 
thaniel Sherman  and  William  Sherman,  Brothers—- 
Cleghorn  Pease,  Edmund  Pope,  Israel  Sampson,  antf 
Bradford  Williams,  Carpenters — Nathaniel  Butler,  Cabi- 
net Maker — Timothy  Taber,  Joseph  C rowel,  Francis 
Washburn,  and  Charles  Washburn,  his  iippreniice,  paifc- 
fers — Williams  and  Griswold,  Brick-layers — Henry  Too), 
Mason — Consider  Smith,  Black  smith — William  Jenney, 
Thomas  Manchester,  Jonathan  Davis  and  Abcer  Davis, 
his  apprentice,  Shoe-makers — Lemuel  Clark,  Caulker — 
Ebenezer  Jenney,  Mate — Josiah  Hammond,  Joseph 
Francis  and  Stephen  Young,  Seamen. 

Nineteen  of  the  above  persons  had  families  and  ail  of 
'hem  lived  in  or  near  New- Bedford. 


NAMES    OF   THE   PERSONS    SAVED, 

John  Taber,  jr.  Master  of  the  Sloop. 

Thomas  Snow, 

Asa  French  Taber.    [    ,.,    ,     . 

AmosRilley,  f  Mechanics  and  Passengers. 

Bradford  Gifford, 


BB1EF  SKETCH   OS' 


THE 


NAVAL  ENGAGEMENTS, 

WHICH  HAVE  TAKEN  PLACE  BETWEEN  THE  UNITED 
STATES  AND  GREAT-BRITAIN,  SINCE  THE  COM- 
MENCEMENT OF  THE  PRESENT  WAR. 


.A.T  ihe  request  of  many,  and  because  not  who!- 
\y  foreign  to  the  design  of  this  compilation  since  replete 
with  instances  of  severest  Naval  Dist&ter,  we  subjoin 
some  account  of  the  late  engagements  at  sea.  In  the 
collection  of  facts.,  and  in  the  sketches  given,  entire  lib- 
erty has  been  taken  to  use  word  for  word,  when  to  our 
purpose,  the  language  of  others.  The  account  of  the 
capture  of  the  Frolic  is  entirely  from  the  Port  Folio. 

The  War  commenced  between  the  United  States 
nnd  Great-Britain,  in  the  summer  of  the  year  1812, 
Ler-ame  early  distinguished  by  a  series  of  Naval  en- 
counters in  which  American  skill  and  valor  were  re- 
peatedly crowned  with  the  most  signal  of  successes. 
Those  illustrious  efforts  which  have  astonished  equally 
the  ardent  hopes  of  t!ie  American  People,  and  the' self- 
confident  invincibility  of  the  greatest  of  maritime  powers, 
will  be  ever  memorable. 

So  humbly  had,  in  the  outset,  our  new  enemy  felt  at 
liberty  to  conceive  of  the  character  of  American  Seamen, 
and  of  the  Little  Navy  with  which  they  then  esteemed 
tiiams  elves  to  be  about  entering  upon  inglorious  warfare, 


CAPTURE    OF   THE    GUERRIERE. 

that  they  could  scarcely  be  spoken  of  but  with  derision,* 
or  sought  after,  but  with  the  expectation  of  certain  con- 
quest, the  accomplishment  of  which,  should  prove  but  a 
few  minutes  of  diversion. 

Such  was  the  state  of  things  when  the  high  and  ho- 
nourable minds  of  our  Naval  Heroes  conceived  the  ele- 
vated resolution  of  boldly  striking  for  fame.  They  suc- 
ceeded, "Bone  of  our  born"^  became  the  language 
with  which  the  enemy  was  at  length  pleased  to  accost 
them,  while  the  benediction  of  shouting  citizens,  of  illu- 
minated cities,  of  approving  Legislatures,  and  of  an 
entire  and  grateful  Nation,  constituted  their  rich  and  glo 
rious  reward, 


CAPTURE  OF 

THE  GUERRIERE. 

THE  action  between  the  U.  S.  Frigate  Constitution, 
Captain  ISAAC  HULL,  and  the  British  frigate  Guerriere, 
Capt.  DACRES,  which  terminated  in  the  capture  of  the 
latter  vessel,  will  be  ever  memorable.  It  took  place  in 
lat.  42,  N.  Ion.  58  west,  on  the  19th  of  Aug.  1812,  dis- 
tant, nearly  due  east,  about  500  miles  from  Cape  Cod. 

*  The  following  from  tJie  London  Evening  Star,  cu- 
riously illustrates  the  ideas  too  commonly  entertained  in 
England,  concerning  our  Little  Navy,  at  the  commence- 
ment of  the  mar. 

"  dndis  Great  Britain  to  be  driven  from  the  proud  emi- 
nence which  the  blood  and  treasures  of  her  sons  have  ob- 
tained for  her  among  the  nations,  by  a  piece  of  striped 
bunting  flying  at  the  mast-head  of  a  few  fir  built  frigates, 
manned  by  a  handful  of  bastards  and  outlaws  ?" 

f  The  following  comments  from  the  Quebec  Mercury, 
alluding  to  the  capture  of  the  Guerriere,  furnish  something 
of  a  contrast  to  the  contents  of  the  preceding  note. 

"  What  can  we  say  of  this  unfortunate  rencontre,  farther, 
than  that  we  had  to  contend  nith  men  nhs>  are  bone  ot 
our  bone,  and  flesh  of  our  fieeh." 


o80  CAPTURE    OF    THE    GUERRIERE, 

The  Guerriere  had,  by  the  British,  been  considered 
as  the  best  frigate  then  on  the  American  station ;  and  but 
a  few  days  previous  to  the  action,  Capt.  Dacres  endorsed 
on  the  Register  of  the  American  brig  John  Adams,  which 
arrived  at  New- York  September  4th,  1812,  the  following 
challenge. 

*;  Captain  DACRES,  commander  of  his  Britannic  Ma- 
';  jesty's  frigate  Guerriere,  of  Forty-Four  guns,  presents 
"  his  compliments  to  Commodore  ROGERS,  of  the  United 
;i  States'  frigate  President,  and  will  be  happy  to  meet 
*:  him,  or  any  other  American  frigate,  of  equal  force  to 

the  President,  off  Sandy  Hook,  for  the  purpose  of 
'•  having  a  few  minutes  Tete  a  Tete." — The  Constitution 
was  precisely  of  equal  force  to  the  President,  and  Capt. 
Dacres  had  but  too  soon  the  short-lived  satisfaction  of 
being  introduced  to  the  "  Tete  a  Tete"  he  had  so  eagerly 
courted. 

The  frigates  saw  each  other  at  2  o'clock,  P.  M.  and 
at  half  past  three,  the  Constitution  sailing  before  the 
»vind,  had  gained  so  much  upon  the  Guerriere,  that  her 
character,  as  a  frigate,  was  known.  A  little  before  five, 
both  frigates  (then  three  miles  apart)  prepared  for  the 
bloody  strife ;  the  crew  of  the  Constitution  giving  three 
cheers,  and  petitioning  tf>  be  brought  close  along  side 
the  enemy.  This  was  an  eventful  hour.  The  American 
People  were  at  the  time  humbling  themselves  before 
God,  solemnising  a  day  of  National  Fasting  and  Prayer. 
Captain  Hull  and  Captain  Dacres  were  meeting  for  the 
decision  of  a  contest,  to  which  all  eyes,  both  in  England 
and  America,  eould  they  have  been  witnesses;  had  turn- 
ed. Jt  was  the  first  time,  after  a  lapse  of  thirty  years 
peace,  where  the  equality  of  the  force  to  be  engaged 
gave  to  each  the  hope,  as  well  as  the  determination  to 
conquer.  It  was  America  with  England,  it  was  England 
^i!h  America. 

As  soon  as  the  Constitution  was  ready  for  action,  Capt. 
Hull  bore  down  with  an  intention  to  bring  him  to  close  ac- 
tion immediately,  A  little  after  five,  the  Guerriere  dis- 
played the  English  ensigns,  and  began  firing,  giving  first  a 
Broadside,  then  filing  and  wearing  away,  and  adding  a  se- 
cond broadside  upon  the  other  tack,  but  without  effect,  her 


CAPTURE    OF   THE    GtfEHIUERE.  3G7 

shot  falling  short.  Fifteen  minutes  after  the  fire  from  the 
Guerriere,  the  Constitution  set  her  colors,  and  fired.  For 
three  quarters  of  an  hour  the  frigates  were  now  engaged, 
the  Guerriere  wearing  very  often,  and  endeavoring  to  get 
a  raking  position;  the  Constitution  manoeuvring  to 
close  with  him,  and  at  the  same  time  avoid  being  raked, 
each  firing  occasionally.  Disappointed  in  getting  a  rak- 
ing position,  the  Guerriere  bore  up.  Five  minutes  be- 
fore six,  they  were  along  side  within  half  pistol  shot.  In 
this  situation  the  superiority  of  American  gunnery  be- 
came at  once  and  splendidly  manifest.  All  the  guns  of  the 
Constitution,  double  shotted  with  round  and  grape,  pour- 
ed in  so  heavy  a  fire,  and  so  well  directed,  that,  in  1 6 
minutes  the  mizen  mast  of  the  Guerriere  went  by  the 
board  ;  her  main  yard  in  the  slings  ;  her  hull,  rigging, 
and  sails  very  much  cut  to  pieces.  The  fire  continued 
to  be  kept  up  with  equal  warmth  for  10  minutes,  when 
the  Guerriere  fell  on  board  the  Constitution,  her  bowsprit 
foul  of  her  mizen  rigging.  The  firing  still  kept  up,  and 
the  cabin  of  the  Constitution  took  fire  from  the  Guer- 
Here's  guns,  but  was  extinguished.  After  remaining  en- 
gaged in  this  situation  for  five  minutes,  the  fore  and  main 
mast  of  the  Guerriere  both  went  by  the  board,  but  for 
which  she  had  been  boarded  by  Ihe  Constitution,  prepar- 
ations for  which  had  been  made. 

The  Constitution  then  shot  ahead  of  the  e nemy,  and, 
in  token  of  submission,  the  Guerriere  fired  a  gun  to 
leeward. 

Thus  after  SO  minutes  close  action,  "  Tele  a  Tete," 
the  Guerriere  is  without  a  mast  or  a  single  spar  standing, 
except  the  bowsprit ;  and  her  hull  below  and  above  wa- 
ter so  shattered  that  a  few  more  broadsides  must  have 
carried  her  down.  We  see  her,  in  short,  (using  the 
words  of  Captain  Dacres,  in  his  Official  Account  of  his 
capture,)  "  a  perfectly  unmanageable  wreck."  The  Con- 
stitution -lost  all  her  braces,  much  of  her  rigging,  and 
some  of  her  spars.  The  British,  by  their  own  account, 
had  15  killed,  and  63  wounded  in  the  action;  her  second 
Ceutenant  was  among  the  former ;  the  Captain,  first  lieu- 
tenant, and  master,  among  the  latter.  Besides  these,  24 
of  her  crew  were  missing  ;  by  the  British  account,  how- 


368          CAPTURE  OF  THE  FROLIC. 

ever,  they  were  absent  when  the  action  began.  Ten 
others,  (Impvssed  Americans,)  are  said  to  have  taken  no 
part  in  the  action.  Captain  Dacres  in  his  speech,  when 
on  trial  for  striking  his  flag,  says,  concerning  them,  that 
his  quarters  were  considerably  weakened,  by  permit- 
ing  Americans  belonging  to  the  ship,  to  quit  their  quar- 
ters, on  the  enemy  hoisting  the  colors  of  that  nation  ; 
which,  though  it  deprived  him  of  the  men,  he  thought  it 
his  duty  to  do. 

The  Guerriere  mounted  Forty-Nine  carriage  guns, 
and  had  a  crew  of  302.  The  Constitution  has  been 
stated  to  have  mounted  Fifty-Four  guns,  and  to  have  had 
a  crew  rising  of  400  :  she  had  7  only  killed,  and  7  wound- 
ed. Lieut.  BRUSH,  of  the  marines,  among  the  killed, 
and  Lieut.  MORRIS,  among  the  wounded. 

Next  morning  after  the  action,  the  Guerriere  had  four 
feet  of  water  in  her  hold,  and  in  the  afternoon  of  that 
day,  she  was  set  on  fire  and  blown  up.  The  Constitu- 
tion with  her  prisoners  arrived  in  Boston  harbor,  on  the 
30th  of  August, 


CAPTURE   OF 

THE  FROLIC. 

THE  United  States  sloop  of  war  the  Wasp,  command- 
ed by  Captain  JACOB  JONES,  was  cruising  in  Ion.  65,  W. 
and  lat.  37,  N.  the  track  of  vessels  passing  from  Bermu- 
da to  Halifax,  when  on  Saturday  the  1 7th  of  October, 
about  11  o'clock,  in  a  clear  moonlight  evening,  she 
found  herself  near  five  strange  sail,  steering  eastward. 
As  some  of  them  seemed  to  be  ships  of  war,  it  was 
thought  better  to  get  farther  from  them.  The  Wasp, 
therefore,  hauled  her  wind,  and  having  reached  a  few 
miles  to  windward,  io  as  to  escape  or  fight  as  the  occa- 
sion might  require,  followed  the  strange  sail  through  the 
night.  At  day  break  on  Sunday  morning,  Capt.  Jones 
found  that  they  were  six  large  merchant  ships,  under 


CAPTURE   OF   THE   FROLIC.  309 

convoy  of  a  sloop  of  war,  which  proved  to  be  the 
Frolic,  capt  Whinyates,  from  Honduras  to  England, 
with  a  convoy,  strongly  armed  and  manned,  having  all 
forty  or  fifty  men,  and  two  of  them  mounting  sixteen 
guns  each.  He  determined,  however,  to  attack  them, 
and  as  there  was  a  heavy  swell  of  the  sea,  and  the 
weather  boisterous,  got  down  his  top  gallant  yards,  close 
reefed  the  top-sails,  and  prepared  for  action,  About  1 1 
o'clock  the  Frolic  shewed  Spanish  colors ;  and  the 
Wasp  immediately  displayed  the  American  ensign  and 
pendant.  At  32  minutes  past  11,  the  Wasp  came  down 
to  windward,  on  her  larboard  side,  within  about  sixty 
yards  and  hailed.  The  enemy  hauled  down  the  Span- 
ish colors  hoisted  the  British  ensign  and  opened  a  fire  of 
cannon  and  musketry — this  the  Wasp  instantly  return- 
ed ;  and,  coming  near  to  the  enemy,  the  action  became 
close  and  without  intermission.  In  four  or  five  minutes 
the  maintop  mast  of  the  Wasp  was  shot  awa}r,  and  fall- 
ing down  with  the  maintop  sail  yard  across  the  larboard 
fore  and  foretop-sai!  braces,  rendered  her  head  yards 
unmanageable  during  the  rest  of  the  action.  In  two  or 
three  minutes  more  her  gaft  and  mizentop  gallant  mast 
were  shot  away.  Still  she  continued  a  close  and  con- 
stant fire.  The  sea  was  so  rough  that  the  muzzles  of 
the  Wasp's  guns  were  frequently  in  the  water.  The 
Americans,  therefore,  fired  as  the  ship's  side  was  go- 
ing down,  so  that  their  shot  went  either  on  the  enemy's 
deck  or  below  it,  while  the  English  fired  as  the  vessel 
rose,  and  thus  her  balls  chiefly  touched  the  rigging,  or 
were  thrown  away.  The  Wasp  now  shot  ahead  of  the 
Frolic,  raked  her  and  then  resumed  her  position  on  her 
larboard  bow.  Her  fire  was  now  obviously  attended 
with  such  success,  and  that  of  the  Frolic  so  slackened, 
that  capt.  Jones  did  not  wish  to  beard  her,  Jest  the  rough- 
ness of  the  sea  might  endanger  both  vessels  ;  but,  in  the 
course  of  a  few  minutes  more,  every  brace  of  the  Wasp 
was  shot  away,  and  her  rigging  so  much  torn  to  pieces, 
that  he  was  afraid  that  his  raasts.  being  unsupported, 
would  go  by  the  board,  and  the  Frolic  be  able  to  escape. 
He  thought,  therefore,  the  best  chance  of  securing  her 
was  to  board,  and  decide  the  contest  at  once.  With 


570  CAPTURE    OF   THE 

this  view  he  wore  ship,  and  running  clown  upon  the  tne- 
iny,  the  vessels  struck  each  other ;  the  Wasp's  side  rub- 
bing along  the  Frolic's  bow,  so  (hat  her  jib  boom  came 
in  between  the  main  and  mizen  rigging  of  the  Wasp, 
directly  over  the  heads  of  captain  Jones  and  the  first 
lietenant,  Mr.  Biddle,  who  were,  at  that  moment,  stand- 
ing together  near  the  capstan.  The  Frolic  lay  so  fair  for 
raking  that  they  decided  not  to  board  until  they  had  giv- 
en a  closing  broadside.  Whilst  they  were  loading  for 
this,  so  near  were  the  two  vessels,  that  the  rammers  of 
the  Wasp  were  pushed  against  the  Frolic's  sides,  and 
two  of  her  guns  went  through  the  bow  ports  of  the  Frolic 
and  swept  the  whole  length  of  her  deck.  At  this  mo- 
ment John  Lang,*  a  seaman  of  the  Wasp,  a  gallant  fel- 
low, who  had  been  once  impressed  by  a  British  man  of 
war,  jumped  on  a  gun  with  his  cutlass,  and  was  spring- 
irtg  on  board  the  Frolic ;  captain  Jones  wishing  to  fire 
again  before  boarding,  called  him  down ;  but  his  impetu- 
osity could  not  be  restrained,  and  he  was  already  on  the 
bowsprit  of  the  Frolic  ;  when,  seeing  the  ardor  and  en- 
thusiasm of  the  Wasp's  crew,  lieut.  Biddle  mounted  on 
the  hammock  cloth  to  board.  At  this  signal  the  crew 
followed,  but  lieut  BiddJe's  feet  got  entangled  in  the  rig- 
ging of  the  enemy's  bowsprit,  and  midshipman  Baker, 
in  his  ardor  to  get  on  board,  laying  hold  of  his  coat,  he 
fell  back  on  the  Wasp's  deck.  He  sprang  up,  as  the 
next  swell  of  the  sea  brought  the  Frolic  nearer,  he  got 
on  the  bowsprit,  where  Lang  and  another  seaman  were 
already.  He  passed  them  on  the  forecastle,  and  was  sur- 
prised at  seeing  not  a  single  man  alive  on  the  Frolic's 
deck,  except  the  seamen  at  the  wheel  and  three  officers. 
The  deck  was  slippery  with  blood,  and  strewed  with 
the  bodies  of  the  dead.  ,  As  be  went  forward,  the  cap- 
tain of  the  Frolic,  with  two  other  officers,  who  were 
standing  on  the  quarter  deck,  threw  down  their  swor 


*  John  Lang  is  a  native  of  New-Brunsivick  in 
Jersey.     We  mention,  with  great  pleasure,  the  na 
this  brave  American  seaman,  as  a  proof,  that  conspicuous 
valor  is  confined  to  no  rank  in  the  JYaro/  Service. 


CAPTURE    OF    THE   FBOLK*.  37  i 

and  made  an  inclination  of  their  bodies,  denoting  that 
they  had  surrendered.  At  this  moment  the  colors 
were  still  flying,  as  probably  none  of  the  seamen  of  the 
Frolic  would  dare  to  go  into  the  rigging  for'  lear  of  the 
musketry  of  the  Wasp.  Lieut.  Biddle,  therefore,  jump- 
ed into  the  rigging  himself,  and  hauled  down  the  British 
ensign,  and  possession  was  taken  of  the  Frolic,  in  forty- 
three  minutes  after  the  first  fire.  She  was  in  a  shocking 
condition  ;  the  birth- deck  particularly  was  crowded  with 
the  dead,  wounded,  and  dying ;  there  being  but  a  small 
portion  of  the  Frolic's  crew  who  had  escaped.  Captain 
Jones  instantly  sent  on  board  his  surgeon's  mate,  and 
all  the  blankets  of  the  Frolic  were  brought  from  her 
slop  room  for  the  comfort  of  the  wounded.  To  increase 
this  confusion,  both  the  Frolic's  masts  soon  fell,  cover- 
ing the  dead  and  every  thing  on  deck,  and  she  lay  a 
complete  wreck. 

It  now  appeared  that  the  Frolic  mounted  sixteen  thir- 
ty-two pound  carronades,  four  twelve  pounders  on  the 
main  deck,  and  two  twelve  pound  carronades.  She 
was,  therefore,  superior  to  the  Wasp,  by  exactly  four 
twelve  pounders.  The  number  of  men  on  board,  as 
stated  by  the  officers  of  the  Frolic,  was  one  hundred 
and  ten — the  number  of  seamen  on  board  the  Wasp 
was  one  hundred  and  two  ;  but  it  could  not  be  ascertain- 
ed whether  in  this  one  hundred  and  ten,  were  included 
marines  and  officers,  for  the  Wasp  had,  besides  her  one 
hundred  and  two  men,  officers  and  marines,  making  the 
whole  crew  about  one  hundred  and  thirty  five.  What 
is  however  decisive,  as  to  their  comparative  force  is, 
that  the  officers  of  the  Frolic  acknowledged  that  they 
had  as  many  men  as  they  knew  what  to  do  with,  and  in 
fact  the  Wasp  could  have  spared  fifteen  men.  There 
was  therefore  on  the  most  favorable  view,  at  least  an 
equality  of  men,  and  an  inequality  of  four  guns.  The 
disparity  of  loss  was  much  greater — The  exact  number 
of  killed  and  wounded  on  board  the  Frolic  could  not  be 
precisely  determined ;  but  from  the  observations  of  our 
officers,  and  the  declarations  of  those  of  the  Frolic,  the 
number  could  not  have  been  less  than  about  thirty  killed, 
including  two  officers,  end  cf  the  wounded  between 


3T2          CAPTURE  OP  THE  FROLIC. 

forty  and  fifty ;  the  captain  and  second-lieutenant  being 
of  the  number.  The  Wasp  had  five  men  killed  and  fire 
slightly  wounded. 

All  hands  were  now  employed  in  clearing  the  deck, 
burying  the  dead,  and  taking  care  of  the  wounded,  whea 
captain  Jones  sent  orders  to  lieut.  Biddle  to  proceed  to 
Charleston,  or  any  southern  port  of  the  United  States  ; 
and  as  there  was  a  suspicious  sail  to  windward,  the 
Wasp  would  continue  her  cruise.  The  ships  then  part- 
ed. The  suspicious  sail  was  now  coming  down  very 
fast.  At  first  it  was  supposed  that  she  was  one  of  the 
convoy,  who  had  all  fled  during  the  engagement  and  the 
ship  cleared  for  action  j  but  the  enemy,  as  she  advanc- 
ed, proved  to  be  a  Seventy-Four — the  Poictiers,  captain 
Beresford.  She  fired  a  shot  over  the  Frolic ;  passed  her  ; 
overtook  the  Wasp,  the  disable  state  of  whose  rigging 
prevented  her  from  escaping ;  and  then  returned  to  the 
Frolic,  who  could,  of  course  make  no  resistance.  The 
Wasp  and  Frolic  were  carried  into  Bermuda. 

It  is  not  the  least  praise  due  to  Captain  Jones,  that  his 
account  of  this  gallant  action  is  perfectly  modest  and  urn- 
ostentatious.  On  his  own  share  in  the  capture,  it  is  un- 
necessary <to  add  any  thing.  "  The  courage  and  exer- 
tions of  the  officers  and  crew,"  he  observes,  "  fully  an- 
swer my  expectations  and  wishes.  Lieut.  Biddle's  ac- 
tive conduct  contributed  much  to  our  success,  by  the  exact 
attention  paid  to  every  department  during  the  engage- 
ment, and  the  animating  example  he  afforded  the  crew 
by  his  intrepidity.  Lieuts.  Rodgers  ancl  B6oth,  and  Mr. 
Rapp,  showed  by  the  incessant  fire  from  their  divisions, 
that  they  were  not  to  be  surpassed  in  resolution  or  skill. 
Mr.  Knight,  and  every  other  officer,  acted  with  a  courage 
and  promptitude  highly  honorable.  Lieut  Claxton,  who 
was  confined  by  sickness,  left  his  bed  a  little  previous  to 
the  engagement ;  and  though  too  weak  to  be  at  his  divi- 
sion, remained  upon  deck,  and  showed  by  h;s  composed 
manner  of  noting  its  incidents,  that  we  had  lost 
illness,  the  services  of  $  brave  officer." 


. 


CAPTURE  OP 

THE  MACEDONIAN. 

EIGHT  days  after  the  capture  of  the  Frolic  the  BrU- 
,sh  Frigate  Macedonian  commanded  by  Captain  JOIJN 
GARDEN,  mounting  49  carriage  guns,  and  carrying  306 
men,  became  a  prize  to  the  U.  States'  frigate  United 
States,  Com.  STEPHEN  DECATUR  commander,  after  an 
action  of  an  hour  and  a  half.  This  was  in  lat.  29  N. 
long.  29,  SO  W.  on  the  25th  of  October,  1812,  off  the 
Western  Islands. 

The  Macedonian  was  a  frigate  of  the  largest  class, 
two  years  old,  four  months  out  of  dock,  and  reputed  one 
ef  the  best  sailers  in  the  British  service,  and  being  at 
the  windward  had  the  advantage  of  engaging  the  Unit- 
ed States  at  her  own  distance,  which  was  so  great  that 
for  the  first  half  hour  the  JJrited  States  made  no  use  cf  her 
carronades  ;  and,  to  the  c^se  of  the  action,  she  was  never 
once  within  the  complete  effect  of  the  United  States 
musketry  and  grape.  But  for  this  circumstance,  and 
the  unusual  swell  which  was  on  at  the  time,  the  action 
had  undoubtedly  been  much  sooner  finished.  Captain 
Garden,  on  coining  on  board  the  United  States  as  a  [iris- 
oner,  fell  into  a  state  of  deep  dejection,  repeatedly  observ- 
ing that  he  was  a  ruined  man  and  that  his  mortification 
was  intolerable.  On  finding  however  that  he  had  Capt. 
Dacres  as  a  fellow  companion  in  defeat  his  spirits  reviv- 
ed. To  Lieut.  Win.  H.  Allen  Com.  Decatur  awarded 
particular  notice,  in  his  official  account  of  the  engage- 
ment, imputing  to  his  unremitted  exertions  in  disciplining 
the  crew  the  obvious  superiority  of  our  gunnery  as  ex- 
hibited in  the  result  of  the  contest  :  and  of  every  officer, 
seaman  and  marine  on  board  his  ship,  reirarks,  that  their 
enthusiam  on  discovering  the  enemy,  their  steady  con- 
duct in  battle,  and  the  precision  of  their  fire,  could  not 
be  surpassed. 

The  comparative  loss  of  the  parties  must  fill  every 
one  with   astonishment.       The    Macedonian   lost    her 
Hh 


&7  4-  CAPTURE    OF   THE   MACEDONIAN-, 

mizen-mast,  fore  and  main  top-masts,  and  main  yard » 
received  100  shot  in  her  hull ;  had  thirty  six  killed  and 
sixty-seven  wounded.  Among  the  former,  the  Boat- 
swain, master's  mate,  and  school  master ;  of  the  latter,  1st 
and  Jd  Lieut,  a  masters  mate  and  two  Midshipmen. 
The  United  States  had  five  only  killed  and  six  wound- 
ed !  Lieut.  Funk  was  of  the  former  number.  So  little 
was  the  United  States  damaged  during  the  action  that  in 
five  minutes  she  was  fully  repaired  for  another  engage- 
ment. The  security  of  her  prize,  however,  requiring 
her  company  into  port,  she  made  for  America,  and  on 
the  4th  of  December  conducted  the  Macedonian  safe 
into  New-London.  It  so  happened  that  the  news  of  this 
third  brilliant  Naval  victory  was  Deceived  at  Washington 
the  very  evening  that  had  b^en  there  previously  fixed 
upon  for  a  Naval  Ball  at  which  a  large  and  very  respect- 
able company  were  assembled ;  a  scene  graced  by  nearly 
all  the  beauty  and  fashion  of  the  city.  All  was  joy  and 
gaiety  such  as  could  scarcely  admit  of  augmentation  and 
x  et  it  wa.s  destined  to  be  increased.  About  9  o'clock  a 
rumor  was  spread  that  Lieut.  Hamilton,  the  son  of  the 
secretary  of  the  Navy,  had  reached  the  house,  the 
bearer  of  the  colors  of  the  Macedonian  and  dispatches 
from  Com.  Decatur.  The  gentlemen  <e?owded  down 
to  meet  him.  He  was  received  with  ioud  cheers  and 
escorted  to  the  festive  hall,  where  awaited  him  the  em- 
braces of  a  fond  father,  mother,  and  sisters  !  It  was  a  scene 
easier  felt  than  describee}.  The  room  in  which  the  com- 
pany had  assembled  had  been  previously  decorated  with 
the  trophies  of  Naval  Victory.  The  colors  of  the  Guer- 
riere  and  Alert  were  displayed  OB  the  wall,  and  the 
Flag  of  the  Macedonian  alone  was  wanting  to  complete 
the  group.  It  was  produced  and  borne  into  the  hall  by 
Capts.  Hull  and  Stewart,  and  others  of  our  brave  seamen, 
amidst  the  loud  acclamations  of  the  company,  and  greet- 
ed with  National  music  from  the  Band. 

An  officer  of  the  frigate  United  States,  speaking  of 
the  capture  of  the  Macedonian,  says — "  I  am  aware  it  will 
b«  said,  she  is  a  little  ship,  with  five  guns  Jess  than  you, 
and  a  hundred  men  less,  and  carries  lighter  metal,  &c. 
— well,  all  this  is  true— she  is  inferior  m  el!  these — but 


CAPTURE    OF    THE    JAVA,  37 5 

felie  is  just  such  a  ship  as  the  English  have  achieved  all 
"their  single  ship  victories  in — 'twas  in  such  a  ship  that  sir 
feobert  Barlorv  took  the  Africaine — that  sir  Michael  Sey- 
mour took  the  Brnne,  and  afterwards  the  Niemen— -th.it 
Capt.  Milne  took  the  Vengeance,  Capt.  Cook  the  La 
Forte,  Capt.  Lade,  the  Guerriere,  Capt.  Rowley  the 
Venus,  and  God  knows  how  many  others  ;  she  is,  in 
tonnage,  men  and  guns,  such  a  ship  as  the  English  pre- 
fer to  all  others,  ami  have,  till  the  Guerriere's  loss, 
always  thought  a  match  for  any  single  decked  ship  afloat. 
You  will  observe  the  ship  was  just  out  of  dock,  her 
masts  were  better  than  tiie  G  tier  Here's.  She  had  taken 
DO  prizes — her  compliment  was  full.  She  was  not  buiii 
of  fir.  thirty  years  ag">,  as  said  of  that  ship,  but  of  the 
best  English  oak,  two  years  since;" 


-CAPTURE  o? 

THE  JAVA. 

BUT  about  two  months  after  the  capture  of  the 
Macedonian,  the  United  Slates1  frigate  Constitution,  then 
under  the  command  of  Com.  WILLIAM  BAINBRIDGE, 
achieved  a  most  astonishing  victory  in  capturing  the 
British  frigate  Java,  Capt.  LAMBERT,  mounting  49  guns, 
having  a  full  complement  for  her  crew,  with  upwards  of 
one  hundred  supernumeraries,  officers,  and  seamen, 
whom  the  Java  was  taking  out  for  the  East-India  service, 
in  all,  upwards  of  400. 

This  action  took  place  on  the  291h  of  December,  1812, 
off  St.  Salvador,  on  the  coast  of  the  Brazills.  lat.  1,3,  6 
S.  long.  08.  W.  about  thirty  miles  from  the  shore,  and 
lasted  one  hour  and  fifty-five  minutes,  when  the  Java 
was  completely  dismasted,  not  having  a  spar  of  any  size 
standing. 

The  action  commenced  at  10  minutes  after  2  o'clock, 
P.  M.  the  ships  then  half  a  nn!e  apart,  the  Java  keeping 
at  a  greater  distance  than  wished  by  Com.  Bainbridge, 


3-76  CAPTURE    OF    THE   JATA. 

which  he  could  not  prevent  without  clanger  of  exposure 
to  a  raking  fire.  This  danger  he  however  thought  bes* 
to  encounter,  as  will  appear  by  the  following  minutes 
from  his  log  book  : — 

At  2,  lOmin.  P.  M.  commenced  the  action  within  good 
grape  and  canister  distance  ;  the  enemy  to  windward, 
b^t  much  farther  than  I  wished, 

2,  30,  Our  wheel  shot  entirely  away. 

2,  40,  Determinied   to  close  with  the  enemy,  notwith- 
standing, the  raking;    set  the  fore  and  main  sail  and 
luffed  up  to  him. 

3j  50,  The  enemy's  gfb-boom  got  foul  our  mizen  rigging- 
;*,  00,  The  lit  ad  of  the  enemy's  bowsprit  and  gib  boom 
shot  away. 

3.  03,  Shot  away  the  enemy's  foremast  by  the  board. 
.'\  15,  Shot  away  his  maiatop-inast,  just  by  the  top. 

*,  40,  Shot  away  his  gaff  and  spanker-boom. 

3,  55,  Shot  away  his  inizen-mast  just  by  the  board. 

*t,  05,  Having  silenced  the  fire  of  the  enemy  completely, 
and  his  colors  in  the  main  rigging  being  down,  suppos- 
ed he  had  struck,  then  hauled  aboard  the  courses  to 
.shoot  ahead  to  repair  the  rigging  which  was  extremely 
viuf,  leaving  the  enemy  a  complete  wreck.  Soon  after 
discovered  the  enemy's  Hag  slill  flying — hove  too  to  re- 
pah'  some  of  our  damage. 

&,  20,  The  enemy's  main-mast  went  nearly  by  the  board. 

i,  50,  Wore  ship  and  stood  for  the  enemy. 

5,  25,  Got  very  near  the  enemy  in  a  very  effectual  rak- 
ing; position,  when  he  most  prudently  struck  his  flag, 
tor  had  lie  suffered  the  broadside  to  have  raked  him 
his  additional  loss  must  have  been  extremely  great  as 
he  lay  an  unmanageable  week  upon  -the  water, 

Capt  Lambert  received  a  mortal  wound  at  half  past 
three  o'clock,  of  which  he  afterwards  died  at  St.  Salva- 
dor, January  4th. — On  board  the  Java,  says  the  official 
letter  of  Corn.  Bainbridge,  th^re  were,  "  killed  60,  and 
101  certainly  wounded."  The  truth  is,  the  officers  of 
the  Java  took  great  pains  to  conceal  both  the  number  they 
hud  onboard,  and  the  amount  of  their  loss,  which,  there 


CAPTURE    OF   THE   JAVA.  377 

is  good  reason  to  believe,  considerably  exceeded  the  offi- 
cial account,  great  indeed  as  it  was  by  that  representa- 
tion. A  letter  written  by  H.  D.  Cornick,  an  officer  cf 
the  Java,  to  his  friend,  and  accidentally  found,  makes  the 
number  killed  to  be  60,  the  number  wounded  170.  who, 
perhaps,  many  of  them,  died  before  removal  from  the 
ship,  in  which  there  was  great  delay,  all  the  boats  of 
both  ships,  one  ecxepted,  having  been  destroyed  during 
the  engagement  The  muster  book  of  the  Java  had  440 
names,  and  the  Constitution  received  from  her,  after  her 
capture,  including  the  wounded,  but  341  ;  leaving  a  de- 
ficiency of  99  killed  and  missing.  It  was  aiiedged  that 
about  40  of  those  on  the  muster  book  left  the  ship  before 
she  saited  from  England  ;  but  the  muster  book  was  dat- 
ed Nov.  1st,  four  days  after  the  Java  sailed.  The  Con- 
stitution had  nine  only  killed!  Commodore  Bainbridge, 
Lieut.  Ay  1  win,  and  23  others  wounded  ;  her  rigging 
much  cut.  but  only  three  shot  in  her  hull. 

The  (Constitution  carried  Fifty-Four  guns.  Her 
weight  of  shot  in  a  broadside  677  Ibs.  4  oz.  The  Java 
mounted  Forty  Nine  guns.  Weight  of  shot  in  a  broad- 
side 605  Ibs. 

The  prisoners  were  parolled  at  St.  Salvador,  and  were 

as    follows  : 1  Lieut.  General — 1  Major— 1  Captain — 

1  Post  Captain— 1  Master  and  Commander — 5  Lieuten- 
ants— 3  Lieutenants  of  Marines — 1  Surgeon — 2  Assistant 
•Surgeons — 1  Purser — J5  Midshipmen — 1  Gunner — 
1  Boatswain— 1  Master — 1  Carpenter — 2  Capts.  Clerks — • 
Total  08  officers,  with  323  petty  officers,  seamen,  ma- 
rine*., and  boys. 

The  Java  was  an  important  ship  fitted  out  in  coni- 
pletest  order  to  carry  Lieut.  General  Hislop  and  his  staff 
to  Bombay,  and  several  naval  officers  for  different  ships 
m  the  East-Indies,  and  had  despatches  for  St.  Helena, 
Cape  of  Good  Hope,  and  every  English  establishment 
in  the  India  and  Chinese  seas.  She  had  also  on  board 
copper  fora  Seventy-Four  and  2  brigs,  building  at  Bom- 
bay. 

The  Java  was  set  on  fire  and  blown  up  on  the  31st  o£ 
December,  it  being  impossi hie  to  conduct  herinkxporf 
K  fc  2 


378          CAPTURE  OF  THE  PEACOCK. 

The  Constitution  left  St.  Salvador  January  6th,  and 
arrived  in  Boston  on  the  8th  of  February,  having,  it  i? 
said,  been  fully  prepared,  on  her  way,  to  have  at  any  time 
contended  again  for  victory.  Com.  Bainbridge,  on  land- 
ing at  Boston,  was  received  with  a  salute  of  cannon  and 
the  loud  acclamations  of  thousands.  The  streets  were 
filled  with  a  delighted  populace,  and  the  house  aad  chim- 
ney tops  were  covered  with  people.  The  Legislature  of 
Massachusetts  being  in  Session  passed  a  vote  of  thanks 
for  the  victory. 


CAPTURE    OF 

THE  PEACOCK. 

NOT  two  months  after  the  capture  of  the  Java,  by 
the  Constitution,  the  Hornet,  sloop  of  war,  commanded 
by  Captain  JAMES  LAWRENCE,  gained  a  very  illustrious 
triumph  over  the  British  man  of  war  brig,  Peacock,  Cap- 
tain PEAKE,  commander,  off  the  mouth  of  Demarara 
nver,  on  the  South  American  coast.  A  little  previously 
the  Hornet  had  been  busy,  blockading  the  Bon  Citoyenne, 
of  S4  guns,  a  packet  brig  of  12  guns,  and  an  armed 
schooner,  in  the  harbor  of  St.  Salvador,  the  blockade 
<  f  which  was  raised  by  the  arrival  of  a  74,  which  came 
til  ere  for  the  express  purpose. 

The  Peacock  was  discovered  by  the  Hornet  at  3,  P  M. 
February  24th,  1812,  while  engaged  in  beating  round 
Carobana  Bank,  two  and  a  half  leagues  from  t6e  Fort  at 
the  mouth  of  the  Demarara  river,  in  order  to  get  at  another 
English  brig  with  colors  flying  without  the  bar.  At  4  20, 
P.  M.  the  Peacock  hoisted  English  colors,  at  which  time 
the  Hornet  cleared  for  action  and  beat  to  quarters.  At 
5  10,  finding  she  could  weather  the  enemy,  hoisted 
American  colors  and  tacked.  At  5  25,  in  passing  each 
other,  exchanged  broadsides  within  half  pistol  shot. 

Observing  the  enemy  in  the  act  of  wearing,  the  Hornet 
received  bis  starboard  broadside,  ran  him  close  on  board 


CAPTURE  OF  THE  PEACOCK.          379 

the  starboard  quarter,  and  kept  up  so  tremendous  and  well 
directed  a  fire  that  in  less  than  1 5  minutes  shr  surrender- 
ed, (being  entirely  cut  to  pieces)  and  hoisted  an  ensign, 
union  down,  from  his  fore  riging,  as  a  signal  of  distress. 
Shortly  after  the  main-mast  went  by  the  board.  Lieut, 
Shubrick  was  sent  on  board  and  returned  with  word 
that  she  was  sinking  fast,  having  six  feet  of  water  in  her 
hold.  Boats  were  immediately  dispatched  to  take  off 
the  wounded  and  every  exertion  wras  made  by  plugging 
the  shot  holes,  throwing  over  the  guns,  pumping  and  bail- 
ing, to  keep  her  afloat  till  the  prisoners  could  be  removed, 
but  without  effect,  as  she  sunk  in  5  12  fathoms  water,  car- 
rying with  her  13  of  her  crew  and  three  men  belonging 
to  the  Hornet.  Four  others  of  the  Peacock's  crew  at 
the  moment  of  her  going  down,  took  shelter  in  a  boat, 
which  being  much  damaged  and  the  waves  running  high, 
they  are  supposed  to  have  been  lost.  Lieut.  Connor  and 
midshipman  Cooper,  with  others  of  the  Hornet's  men 
engaged  in  taking  ofl"  the  prisoners,  saved  themselves  by 
a  boat.  Four  of  the  thirteen  prisoners  in  the  Peacock 
when  she  sunk,  gained  the  mast  head  which  continued 
out  of  water,  and  were  taken  off. 

Capt  Peake  and  four  men  were  killed  in  the  action  \ 
probably  some  others.  The  master,  one  midshipman,  car- 
penter and  Capt's.  clerk,  with  29  privates  were  wounded, 
most  of  them  severely,  three  of  whom  died  of  their 
wounds. 

The  Hornet  had  but  one  killed  and  two  slightly 
wounded  by  the  enemy.  Two  others  were  wounded, 
one  mortally,  by  the  explosion  of  a  catridge.  Rigging 
and  sails  much  cut,  one  shot  through  the  fore-mast,  the 
bowsprit  slightly  injured.  The  hull  received  little  or 
no  damage. 

During  the  action  the  Espeigle  of  18  guns,  the  brig 
mentioned  as  lying  at  anchor,  was  in  sight.  After  the 
action  with  the  Peacock,  it  being  thought  the  Espeigle 
might  attempt  to  beat  out,  the  Hornet  repaired,  and  by 
9  P.  M.  was  completely  ready  for  another  action. 

The  Peacock  was  about  the  tonnage  of  the  Hornet, 
4  inches  wider,  but  not  so  long  by  4  feet.  She  mount- 
ed 20  guns,  besides  2  swivels,  and  was  maimed  by  13.5 


380  CAPTURE  OF  THE  CHESAPEAKE. 

men ;  precisely  the  number  mustered  and  able  to  do 
duty  on  board  the  Hornet.  The  Hornet  mounted  20 
guns. 

Three  Impressed  Americans  ^  on  board  the  Peacock, 
were  less  fortunate  than  those  on  board  the  Guerriere, 
having  been  compelled  to  fight.  One  of  them  was  killed, 
and  one  of  those  who  survived  the  action  proved  to  be  a 
cousin  to  the-Lady  of  Capt.  Lawrence  !  The  Macedonian, 
it  may  be  remarked,  had  also  two  Impressed  Americans 
on  board,  who  were  compelled  to  fight,  one  of  whom 
was  killed.  His  name  was  John  Cand,  a  native  of  the 
District  of  Maine,  where  he  had  a  wife  and  child 

Captain  Lawrence  with  the  prisoners  taken  from  the 
-Peacock  returned  to  the  U.  States,  arriving  at  Holme's 
Hole  on  the  19th  of  March,  thence  through  the  sound 
at  New  York,  on  the  24th,  amidst  the  plaudrts  of  an  ex- 
citing Nation. 


CAPTURE  OF 

THE  CHESAPEAKE. 


THE  daring  and  victorious  LAWRENCE 
-soon  after  his  return  from  the  distinguished  cruise  which 
resulted  in  the  capture  of  the  Peacock,  the  command  of 
the  Chesapeake  frigate  of  Thirty  Six  guns.  While  lying 
*n  Boston  harbor,  the  1st  day  of  June,  1813,  the  British 
frigate  Shannon,  which,  with  the  Tenedos,  had  been 
sometime  cruising  in  the  bay,  then  in  sight,  he  became 
induced,  though  in  opposition  to  a  force  of  decided  su- 
perioiity,  to  assert  the  rights  of  the  United  States  against 
an  invading  foe. 

At  this  time  100  of  his  crew  had  never  performed  a 
cruise.  The  1st  Lieut.  21  years  only  of  age;  the  2d 
Lieut,  sick,  and  not  on  board,  his  place  occupied  by  the 
Lieut,  next  in  rank  ;  the  3d  and  4th  Lieuts.  Midshipmen 
«a&iing  as  LieuteDaats,  Thai,  however,  Capt. 


CAPTURE    OF   THE    CHESAPEAKS,  331 

had  not  confidence  both  in  his  crew  and  officers,  is  a  sup- 
position not  to  be  indulged. 

On  the  25th  of  May,  the  Shannon  and  Tenedos  sepa 
rated,  the  Captain  of  the  Tenedos  having  been  enjoined 
by  Capt  Broke,  of  the  Shannon,  not  to  rejoin  him  till 
about  the  14th  of  June.  This  say  the  Halifax,  (British) 
accounts  was  done  in  the  hope  and  expectation  that  the 
Chesapeake  frigate,  finding  the  Shannon  alone,  c<ff  Bos- 
ton, would  come  out  and  give  her  battle — Captain  Broke 
well  knowing  the  force  he  proposed  inviting  to  an  en- 
gagement, was  of  course  prepared  for  the  fight  with  aft 
possible  care  and  attention.  To  a  crew  unusually  large 
he  added  a  number  of  picked  men,  from  other  vessels, 
particularly  an  officer  and  16  men  from  the  Belle  PouJ, 
and  a  part  of  the  crew  of  the  Tenedos.  The  Shannon 
rated  Thirty -Eight  and  mounted  Fifty-Two  guns.  In 
the  morning  of  the  1st  of  June,  the  Shannon  stood  in 
close  to  Boston  Light-House,  and  hoisted  British  colors, 
the  Chesapeake  lying  at  anchor,  and  in  sight. 

At  8  o'clock,  A.  M.  the  Chesapeake  unmoored,  and 
about  noon,  got  under  way  and  stood  out  for  the  Shannon, 
The  Shannon  edged  off,  followed  by  the  Chesapeake, 
As  the  latter  vessel  passed  the  Light-House,  the  Shannon 
bore  E.  S.  E.  six  leagues.  At  4  o'clock,  P.  M.  the  Shan- 
non stiH  standing  out  to  sea,  distant  about  7  miles  from 
the  Chesapeake,  the  Chesapeake  hauled  up,  hoisted  jib 
and  stay-sails,  and  firtd  a  gun  ;  upon  which  the  enemy 
immediately  boie  to,  reefed  his  top-sails  and  lay  by,  on 
the  starboaAl  tack,  the  Chesapeake  in  chase.  Half  past 
4,  the  Chesapeake  hoisted  the  American  fiag  at  the  inia- 
en-top  gallant  mast  head. 

About  15  minutes  before  6,  when  within,  pi?  tol  shot  of 
the  Shannon  the  Chesapeake  received  her  broadside, 
which  was  returned,  and,  at  the  first  fire,  Capt.  Lawrence 
was  wounded  in  the  leg;.  Three  or  f<  sides  only 

were  exchanged  when  li't  Chesape&k  ;  head-top- 

sail-tie shot  away,  and  her  spanker  brails  fouled  by  cut 
rigging  Capt.  Lawrence  was  wounded,  mortally,  through 
the  body,  by  a  musket  ball,  and  caiwd  beJow.  Mr. 
Ludlow,  1st  Lieut,  was  twice  wounded,  by  musket  or 


CAPTURE    OF   TOE    CHESAPEAKE-. 

grape  Siiot.  Mr  Ballsrd,  4th  Lieut,  had  his  log  shot 
from  his  body.  Mr.  White,  the  master,  was  killed.  Mr. 
Broom,  Lieut,  of  marines,  and  the  boatswain,  mortally 
wounded. 

In  about  12  minutes  from  the  beginning  of  the  action, 
the  Chesapeake,  being  unmanageable,  fell  on  board  the 
Shannon,  when  the  enemy  threw,  suddenly,  200  men 
upon  her  decks.  The  Chesapeake's  boarders  were  call- 
ed, but  the  man  whose  duty  it  was  to  give  the  signal  did 
not  give  it.  Mr.  Budd,  2d  Lieut,  being  told  by  the 
Captain's  aid  that  the  boarders  were  called,  instantly 
headed  his  and  Mr.  Cox's  division,  sprung  on  deck 
where  he  found  the  enemy  had  already  possessed  him- 
self of  the  quarter  deck.  He  immediately  gave  orders 
to  haul  on  board  the  fore  tack,  for  the  purpose,  if  possible, 
•ef  shooting  the  ship  clesf  of  the  other,  and  then  made 
an  attempt  to  regain  the  quarter  deck,  but  was  wounded 
and  thrown  down  on  the  gun  deck.  Afterwards,  almost 
immediately,  the  enemy  succeeded  in  gaining  complete 
possession  of  the  ship.  Cap!.  Lawrence  had  been  car- 
ried bdow  before  any  attempt  was  made  to  board.  lie 
survived  till  the  4th  of  June,  repeatedly  exclaiming,  in 
the  course  of  the  delirium  brought  on  him  by  his  wounds, 
8i  DOIS'T  GIVE  UP  THE  SHTP."  He  was  buried  at  Halifa*, 
\vilh  military  honors  ;  but  that  the  country  which  he  ro 
much  honored  in  life  need  not  want  the  glory  of  embo- 
soming in  her  own  soil  the  mortal  remains  of  her  fallen 
Hero,  a  vessel  offered  for  that  purpose,  by  Cant.  George 
Crowninshield,  of  Salem.  Massachusetts,  has  been  privi- 
leged with  a  flag  to  go  arid  "bring  from  Halifax  the  hotly  of 
t/apt.  Lawrence,  which  it  is  expected  will  be  entombed  at 
Salem,  after  pronunciation  of  an  Eulogy  by  Mr.  Story,  one 
of  the  Judges  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United 
States.  The  vessel  which  has  sailed  for  this  purpose  is 
manned  by  12  Captains  of  ships.  Lieutenant  Bal- 
lard  survived  his  wound  but  15. minutes — Lieutenants 
'Ludlo'v,  Budd.  and  Cox,  are  recovering  of  their.  v;oundF. 
Livingston,  Evans,  and  Hopewell,  midshipmen,  were 
•amons  the  slain,  the  number  of  which  was  great,  aug- 
mented doubtless,  veiy  much,  by  the  inhumanity  of  the 
victors,  who  continued  firing  after  ail  resistance  had 


CAPTURE    OP   THE    CH£SAP£AKS. 

ceased.  Several  vollies  of  musketry  were  after  the  sup- 
render,  fired  down  the  hatchway  and  into  the  cockpit 
among  the  wounded  The  enemy,  by  their  own  account, 
lost  their  1st  Lieutenant,  purser,  Captain's  clerk,  and  2J 
seamen  killed  ;  Capt.  Broke,  a  midshipman,  and  56  sea- 
men wounded.  Other  accounts  make  the  pumber  of 
their  killed  and  wounded  much  greater.  The  Chesa- 
peake had  48  killed,  and  98  wounded.  Capt.  Broke  was 
wounded  from  a  sabre  on  the  head  while  in  the  act  of 
boarding;  he  received  also  other  severe  wounds.  He 
remained  delirious  for  a  long  time,  and  so  late  as  in  July, 
when  last  heard  from,  was  considered  as  being  danger- 
gusiy  ill. 

The  Shannen  received  five  shot  under  water  ;  one 
through  her  copper,  and  had  her  rigging  and  masts  mu^h 
cut.  The  damage  she  sustained  was  much  greater  than 
that  sustained  by  the  Chesapeake.  Mr.  Wallace,  2d 
Lieut,  of  the  Shannon,  has  been  stated  to  have  informed 
Mr.  Chew,  pureer  of  the  Chesapeake,  that  they  could 
not  have  continued  the  action  and  kept  their  ship  afloat 
but  a  few  minutes  longer.  But  for  the  early  loss  of  offi- 
cers belonging  to  the  Chesapeake,  the  Captain,  4th  Lieut. 
the  Master,  and  the  Lieut  of  Marines,  falling  the  first 
five  minutes  of  the  action,  the  struggle  might  and  pro- 
bably would  have  eventuated  very  differently.  Consid- 
ering the  sinking  state  of  the  Shannon,  after  the  exchange 
of  but  from  three  to  four  broadsides,  it  seemed  only  to 
have  been  necessary,  in  order  to  have  reversed  the  for- 
tune of  the  day  to  have  fought  separate  from  each  other 
a  little  longer. 

The  unmanagable  condition  of  the  Chesapeake, 
occasioned  by  damage  done  her  rigging,  left  her  to 
fall  on  board  her  antagonist,  under  the  disadvantages 
which  have  been  described.  Could  the  animating  pres- 
ence of  the  fallen  Lawrence  have  directed  thereafter, 
had  in  fact  the  immense  force  thrown  suddenly  upon  the 
Chesapeake,  not  availed  themselves  of  a  moment  when 
the  inferior  numbers  of  their  opponent  were  \vithout  a 
leader,  every  officer  on  deck  having  been  killed,  or  severe- 
ly wounded,  they  had  had,  it  is  believed,  much  less  from 
which  to  derive  satisfaction.  The  fortune  of  war,  it  is  to. 


CAPTURE    ©P   THE    CHESAPEAKE. 

be  confessed,  however,  is  never  known  to  be  without  its 
Inconstancy,  and  the  unthinking  only,  and  those  ignorant 
of  what  all  history  sets  before  them,  can  entertain,  for  a 
moment,  the  presumption  that  uninterrupted  triumph  can 
rest  upon  any  banners,  however  fortified  by  skill  and 
made  unconquerable  by  valor.  If,  in  the  instance  here 
recorded,  the  smile  of  Victory  seem  for  a  time  to  have 
denied  it's  accustomed  charms,  it  should  be  our  recollec- 
tion that  its  return  can  scarcely  be  either  slow  or  doubtful 
to  arms  it  has  in  so  many  instances  delighted  to  crown 
with  a  brilliancy  which  will  never  fail  to  crradiate  the  au~ 
of  American  warfare. 


SUBSCRIBERS  NAMES. 


EolLon. 

John  Carver,  3d.     John  Churchill,        Abijah  Markhani, 
Josiah  Fox,  Win.  W.  Gampbell,Robert  M'Cleve, 

Richard  Penhollow>Daniel  Cheney,  6.  ElishaNiles, 


Bridgeport.  Peter  Cachchran, 

W.  H.  Jesup  John  Carr, 

Ephraim  Kamp.  Harvy  Cornwall, 

Branford.  Thomas  Child, 

Mason  Hobart,  Ichabod  Cook, 

W.  R.  Johnson,  Jesse  Clark, 

Orin  D.  Squire.  Orin  Chapman, 

Berlin.  Oliver  Clark, 

E.  Brandegee,  jr.  Sally  Dixon, 

Daniel  5.  Curtis,  Silas  Eddy, 
John  Goodrich,  jr. 
Lines  Hubbard. 

Bristol 

Isaac  Hinsdale, 

Nathan  Wildrnan,  Russell  Gates, 
Daniel  Wildman,  jr.Giles  Gardner, 

Bridgeport.  Ansel  Hurlburt, 

Ephraim  Knap.  Russell  Hills, 

Canterbury.  Samuel  Hall, 

James  Aspenwall.  Jesse  Hall, 

Canaan.  D.  B.  Holister, 
Ebenezer  PomeroyJessee  Hurd,jr. 

Chatfiam.  N.  Hauselkuse, 
George  Bell, 
George  Bidwell, 
Chauncey  Beach, 
Samuel  Buck, 


Enos  Potter, 
Abner  Post, 
Robert  Patent, 
Agift  Pease, 
Reuben  Ranney, 
Joseph  Ranney, 
Stephen  Qanney, 
Joel  Randell, 
Huntington  Selden3 
George  Satliffs, 


Jeremiah  Goodrich.Abel  Shepard,  jr. 
Joseph  Coodrich,     James  Stanlift, 
Willard  Cladding, 
Nathan  Gillum, 


Enos  Brainard, 
William  Case, 
Erick  Cornwall, 


Chauncey  Hills, 
Joel  Jones, 
Joel  Jacobs, 
William  Kellogg, 
John  Kay, 
M  P.  Marther, 
Charles  Munn, 
Hh 


Benjamin  Sherman, 
James  Stewart, 
Richard  M.  Smith, 
Joseph  Wells, 
Runey  Wetherill, 
Jabez  Williams, 
David  Wyllys. 
Ellington. 
Arckluss  Fetcher, 

Enfold. 

Moses  V/.  Beckley, 
James  M.  Chester, 
Elisha  Halton, 
John  King, 
Asa  Meacham, 
Abial  Pease, 
R.  &-  L.  Parseas 


374 


CONNECTICUT. 


Joseph  Smith, 
Franklin  Shaylor, 
Samuel  Veits, 
John  Wilson,  jr. 
Samuel  Woodruff, 
Charles  Washburn. 


Horace  Pease          Emily  Holister, 
Samuel  Pease  3      Zeiel  Howss, 
Luther  Pease,          Joseph  Hilbourn, 
J.  L.  Reynolds,       Abel  Lewis, 
Abiel  Terry  David  Lovelands, 

Mathew  Miller  jr. 

Farmington.        Benjamiu  Moseley,         Groton. 
Jonathan  Barnes,    Joseph  Mitchell       Asa  L.  Avery, 
Augustus  Bidwell,  Isaac  Olcott, 
NoadiahBird,          Natnaniel  Porter, 
E.  Cowles,  &  Co.  Joel  Porter, 

David  Pease, 

B.  Risley,2d. 


Christopher  Avery, 
John  Barber, 
Noyes  Barber, 
Elijah  Baily, 
Franklin  Burdick, 
Alfred  Baily, 
Nat.  G.  Chipman, 
Elisha  Chester, 
John  Hudson, 


James  K.  Camp, 

Jonathan  Cowles, 

Chauncey  Deming,  James  Robinson, 

Eben  Felid,  William  Smith, 

George  B.  Gleason,Samuel  Sellew, 

Alfred  Hull,  Jedediah  Smith, 

Jeremiah  Humason,BenjaminB.  Smith,Alvert  Latham, 

Benjamin  Lali  more,Elisha  Stocking,      Daniel  Latham, 

Porter  &,  Norton,     Zadock  Stocking, 

Noah  L  Phelps,      Mary  Stratton, 

Alford  Rose,  Walter  Stevens, 

Sylvester  Shephard,Rachel  Treat, 

William  Standley,  David  Taylor, 

Pomroy  Strong,      Nancy  Taylor, 

Chauncey  Sweet,    Jesse  Vibbert, 


&lasie,nbury. 
Justus  Blin, 
John  Case, 
Chauncey  Dudley,  John  Wheat 


Benjamin  Ellis, 
Israel  Fox, 
Israel  Croodrich, 
Jesse  Gains, 
EHsha  Hale, 
Gideon  Hale, 
Ebenezer  Hale, 
Timothy  Hale, 
Jehid  Hale, 
Thomas  Hale, 
Alvin  Hunt, 
Elijah  Holister, 


David  Mitchill, 
He»ry  Niles, 
Luke  Perkins, 
Christopher  White, 
S.  S.  Walworth. 

Guilford. 
George  Bassett, 

Elnathan  Wheelor,  Thomas  Burgis, 
Joseph  Whitney,     Heman  Coe,  &  Co. 
Calven  Whitney,    Darius  Crampton, 
Jonathan  Crampton, 
Usher  Conklin, 
Phineas  Andrus,  2.  Darius  Coe, 
Robert  Church,        Ralph  I.  Chittenden 
Peter  Drown,  John  R.  Chittenden, 

James  H.  Halcomb,Charles  A.  Dodd, 
John  F.  Halcomb,   Wm.  G.  Frazier, 
Luke  Field,  2d. 
Curtis  Fairchild, 
Alvah  B.  Goldsmith 
Stephen  Griswold, 


Erastus  Halcomb, 
James  Lewis,  6. 
Pliny  Newton, 
Nathaniel  Prits, 
Allen  Robbins, 
Nathaniel  Sotey, 


Eber  Hotchkiss. 
Jesse  Jay, 


CONNECTICUT. 


375 


JJHsha  Parmelee,  George  Benton,  2d. Charles  Dodcl, 
Harrey  Parmelee,  Francis  Bancroft,  Thomas  Dodd, 
Rosseter  Parmelee5Jason  Bunce,  Joseph  Day, 

Horace  Peck,  Nehemiah  Bryant,  Enoch  Dewey, 

Martin  Page,  Jonathan  Butler,  2d.John  Durrie, 

Russell  Spencer,      Benjamin  Bishop,    Moses  Dorr, 
Timothy  Stone,  Sd.Zenas  Brace, 
Taber  Smith,  John  Brag, 

David  Woodward,  William  Benham, 
Ozias  Whedon,       Giles  Barnes, 
Agur  Wildman,       Wm.  Balch, 
Chapman  Warner,  Tymothy  Bryant, 
Hartford.          John  Bowles,  2d. 
Augustus  Averill, 
John  Anderson, 

Tim.  Anderson,  jr.  S.  W.  Candee, 
Augustus  Andrus,    Thomas  Chester, 
Samuel  Atkins,        John  Caldweli, 
Ally n  Bacon,  E  Colt, 

Jonathan  Brace,       E.  P.  Corning, 

George  Collier, 

Clarisa  Clark, 

George  Catlin, 

Leonard  Curtis, 

Shubael  Corning, 


Daniel  Dewey, 
B  B.  Dimmock, 
Joseph  Daliiby, 
Alenson  Elmer, 
Hannah  Ervin, 
Samuel  M  Eluiore, 
Joseph  Elmore,  jr. 
Abel  Flint, 


Charles  J.  Cone, 

Freeman  Crecker,  Asa  Farewell, 

Luther  Freeman, 
Horace  Ferry, 
Chloe  Filly, 
Edmund  Ferry, 
George  Flagg, 
John  Flagg, 
Ebenzer  Faxon, 
Elias  Frink, 
Thomas  Faxon, 
John  Fitts, 
James  W.  Graham, 
Jeremiah  Graves, 
John  M.  Gannet, 
George  Goodwin, 
S.  F.  Griswold, 
R.  E.  Goodwin, 
George  Goodwirf(jr. 
James  Geer, 
Joseph  Gilbert, 
Samuel  Galpin, 
James  Goodwin, 
Aaron  Goodman, 

Edw.  S.  Bellamy,  William  Chapman,  Edwin  Gaylord, 
Levi  Bunce,  Timothy  Chapin      Benjamin  Gilbert, 

Catherine  Bigelow,  Phips  Deming,         Moses  Goodwin, 
Ebenezer  Bryant,    Enos  Doolittle,        Solomon  Goodrich. 
Jedeiiah  Bingham3Theron  Deming,     John  Goodwin,  2d. 


I.  D.  Bull, 

Grin  Beckly, 

Dudly  Buck, 

Jeremiah  Brown, 

Daniel  Bunce,  jr. 

Joshua  P.  Burnhaih George  Corning, 

Joseph  Belden,        Asher  Coe, 

Rufus  Bunce, 

George  Barnard, 

Wm.  H.  Brace, 

Charles  Bacon, 

J.  &  I.  Bolles, 

Joseph  Bunce, 

AlbroA.  Bradly, 

George  Bacon, 

Samuel  Butler, 


Henry  Corning, 
H.  Child, 
Whiting  Clark, 
Roswcll  Curtis, 
Joel  Carter,  jr. 
William  Corning, 
M.  F.  Cogswell, 
Barna  Collins, 
Roderic  Colton, 
Horace  Be^kwrth,   Cook  &  Church, 


376 


3TT3SC RISERS 


Asa  Goodwin,         Jesse  Lyman, 
Wait  Griswold,        Joseph  Lynde, 
H.  Hudson,  Elijah  Loomis, 

James  B.  Hosmer,  Wm.  Mosely, 
Philo  Hilly er,          Daniel  Miller, 
Horatio  G.  Hale.     Nathan  Morgan, 
H.  A.  Huntington,  Sidney  Merrill, 
J.  Hempsted,  jr.      Eber  Moore, 
Asa  Hopkins,  Uzal  Miner, 

Daniel  Hophins,      David  W.  Moor, 
Lemuel  Hurlburt,    Adonijah  Moody, 
Minor  Hillard,          William  B.  May, 
Robart  Harris,          Elisha  Mix, 
James  D.  Hurlburt;G.  W.  Maynard, 
Noah  Humphrey,    Henry  Mires, 
Daniel  Hinsdale,  jr.Samuel  Mix, 
Nathan  Johnson,      John  Mars  Si,  jr. 


Horace  Seymour. 
Samuel  Slater, 
Robart  Silcock, 
Heppy  Steele, 
Melisa  Sikes 
Seth  Swetser, 
S.  H.  Stocking, 
John  Spencer, 
Stephen  Spencer, 
C.  Seymour, 
John  Jmith, 
S.  H.  Spencer, 
Daniel  Stedman, 
Roderick  Seymour, 
Homas  Stire, 
W.  Stephenson, 
Russell  Skinner, 


Silas  W.  Johnson,  Sylvester  H.  Mills,  John  Steele, 


EliJohnson, 
Davis  Johnson, 
Elihu  Johnson, 
Alfred  Janes, 
Henry  Johnson, 
Abner  Jones, 
Webster  &,  John- 
son, 

Milton  Jennings, 
John  M.  Johnson, 
Charles  Jabine, 
A.  Kings  bury, 


George  L.  Meigs,    Richard  Shepard, 
John  Notr,  Asa  Smith, 

Frederick  Oaks,      Amureth  Smith, 
Francis  L.  OImsted,Lucius  Shepard, 


T.  W.  Putnam, 

Jesse  Porter, 

N.  A.  Phelps,  jr. 

Joseph  Pratt  jr. 

Eleazer  Porter, 

Lyman  Parsons, 

Elijah  Purchase, 

George  J.  Patten, 

Samuel  Kellogg  jr.  Sylvester  W.  Ri!ey,Romanta  Seymour, 
David  Knox,  Russell  Robbins,  6  Theodore  Spencer, 

Samuel  Steele, 
John  Sheffield, 

Ephraim  Root,         Jona.  Sheffield, 

Chandler  Rose, 

Lewis  Roberson. 


Chester  Seymour, 
Lucy  Steele, 
Tim.  Sedgwick,  jr. 
Ruth  Sedgwick, 
Ethan  Smith, 
Wm.  Stedman, 
Eben'r.  Sedgwick, 
John  Steele,'  2d. 


Norman  Knox,        Seth  Richards, 
Eliazar  Kingshary,  Mervin  Rick, 

Anscn  Kellogg, 
S.  S.  Kennedy, 
No  rib  Libra,  W 

Hartford, 
Cyprian  Lee, 
Jonathan  Law, 


Joseph  TrumbuH, 
Seth  Terry, 

Frederick  Robbins,  Russell  Talcott, 
I.  L.  Skiner,  John  Thomas, 

Jared  Scarborough, A mon  Thrasher, 
Simeon  L.  Loomis,lsrael  Stocking,       Horace  Taylor, 
Tthabod  Lyinan,     Michad  Sbepard,    IVrn.  Tinker, 


CONNECTICUT. 


377 


Pierpont  Hollister,  David  Croweley, 
Wm.  Jones,  Julius  Church, 

Chester  Lyman,       John  Cook, 
Amariah  Miller,       C.  C.  Gates, 
Normand  Olinsted.  Mathan  L.  Foster, 
Phmehas  Gates,  jr. 
Jonah  Gates, 
Darius  Gates, 
Wm.  Hall, 
Elisha  Johnson, 
Sylvanus  Lindsley, 
Thomas  Mosely, 


Moses  Tryon, 

Nathan  Tinker, 

Diodat  Taylor, 

Fredus  Vanhorn, 

James  Wells, 

Daniel  Wadsvvorth,  Job  Porter, 

J.  R.  Woodbridge,  Joseph  Perry, 

Spencer  Whiting,     George  Rich, 

David  Waikinson,   Samuel  Riley, 

George  White,          Elisha  Risley, 

Erastus  Wheeler,     Stephen  Simonds, 

Fred'k.  Wadsworth,Reuben  Stedman, 

Robert  Waterman,  Haddani. 

James  S.  Wickham,David  Bonfrey, 

James  H.  Welles,     Samuel  Colton, 

Harry  Winship,        J  &c  S  Huntington,  6Wm.  Glrnsted, 

James  Winship,       Ezra  Kelcey,  Wm.  Palmer, 

Ashbel  Wells,          Rinus  Parmelee,  12.  Asa  Smith, 

Joseph  Whiting,  jr.  Selden  Skinner,       Daniel  M.  Seely, 

John  Whitman,        Samuel  Spencer, 

Elisha  Wells,  jr.  East-Haddamf 

Dyer  White,  Jehiel  Amabie, 

Joseph  Webster,      Elijah  Ackley,  jr. 
Charles  Atwood, 
D.  C.  Blakeslee, 
Horace  Balden, 
Jesse  Bigelow, 
Jos.  Brainard, 
Oliver  Brainerd, 
Joseph  Brainerd,  6.  Andrew  Hopkins, 

Matthew  G.  BackusNoah  Bulkeley,        Adna  Johnson, 

Chauncey  Bryant,   Robert  B  ChapmanNathan  Kingsbury, 
Newel  Cone,  Martin  Leonard, 

Sylvester  CiiapmanL«aac  Newell, 
Robert  D.  Cone,      Benjamin  Smith, 
Reuben  Champion,  Jacob  Whiting, 
Wm.  Church.  6.  Hampton, 

Dan  Chadwick,       Roswell  Bill, 
Grin  Chapman,  6.    Simeon  Burnhanr, 
Asa  Chapman, 
William  Church, 
G.  L.  Chapman, 


John  Weaver 
Lemuel  White 

East-Hartford. 
Samuel  F.  Allen, 
Daniel  Bidwell, 
Walter  Burt, 
Betsy  Butler, 


George  Morgan, 
John  Marshall, 
Cephas  Niles, 


Sylvanus  Tinker, 
Amasa  Warner, 
Aaron  Watson, 

Hamden. 
Levi  Balding, 
Joseph  Ball, 
Jotham  FentoDj 
Lyman  Ford, 
Aaron  Fuller, 
Major  Goods  el!, 


Eli  Cheney, 
Stephen  Cowles, 
Catherine  Cullio, 
Elijah  Dewey, 
Chester  Drake, 
Eli  Evens, 
Justin  Easton,  jr. 
Uart  Forbs, 
Wm.  Fuller, 
Rhoda  Green, 
Fpaphras  Hills, 


Nathan  U.  Clark, 
Jonathan  Clark, 
David  Simons, 


373 


SUBSCRIBERS   NAMES. 


KiUingmorth. 
John  E.  Bray, 
Hubbard  Bradley, 
Henry  Brown, 
Elias  Bushnell. 
Benjamin  Dewolf, 
James  Farnarn, 
James  N.  Griffin 
Joshua  Gladding, 
Joseph  Hillard, 
Oliver  Hull, 
Isaac  Redfield,  6. 
David  Rossetter, 
Wm.  Willcox, 
John  Waterhouse, 

Lebanon. 
Peter  C.  Brown, 
Roxana  Lathrop, 
Denison  Wattles,  jr 

Lisbon. 
John  Cady, 
Waterman  Hyde, 
Harriot  Morgan, 
James  Stelson, 
Freeman  Tracy, 
Thomas  C.  Wilber, 

Lilchfield. 
Linn  an  Agard, 
Harry  Buckley, 
Almon  Baldwin, 
Lewis  Beecker, 
Srastus  Bradley, 
John  Cunningham, 
John  Churchill,  jr. 
Ban.  Huntington,  jr 
C.  Hotchkiss, 
Freeman  Kiiborn, 
Isaac  Marsh, 
Zenas  Neal, 
Elias  M'Neal, 
David  Perry, 
Virgil  Peck,  jr. 


Wm.  Re\v, 

Lewis  Stone, 
Wm.  Smith, 
Amzy  Smith, 
Wm.  Ward,  jr. 
R.  L.  Whaples. 

Longmeadow* 
Saben  Burt,  6. 
John  Burt, 
Gaius  Bliss, 
Daniel  Barker, 
Levi  Baker, 
Chauncey  Bliss, 
Levi  Case, 
G  &  W.  Colton, 
Demas  Colton, 
Jesse  Cady, 
Caleb  Cooley, 
Simon  Colton, 
Isaac  Caskins, 
Elijah  Field, 
I.  &  D.  Gates, 
Stephen  Keep, 


Merridcti. 
Isaac  I.  Hough, 
Middletorcn. 
Elisha  Austen, 
Ichabod  Avery, 
Nathan  S.  AngelJ, 
JFilliam  Beecher, 
Butler  B.  Belden, 
Samuel  Boardman, 
Asahel  C.  Bates, 
O.  D.  Beebe, 
Charles  Brewer, 
William  Bishop, 
Manoah  Brace, 
Eleazer  Badger, 
Elizur  Barnes, 
Elijah  Bemiss, 
Louden  Bailey,  jr,. 
John  Bound, 
W.  R.  Beach, 
John  Butler, 
C.  Beebe, 
Abraham  Brown, 
Lewis  Clark, 


Amos  Parker, 

Samuel  C.  StebbinsOlivcr  Cook, 
Levi  E.  Taylor,      John  Church, 
Walter  White, 

Li/me. 

James  Maynard, 
Gilbert  Smith,  6. 
Marlborough. 
Otis  Alvord, 
Ira  Culver, 
Joseph  Carrier, 
.H   W.  Fanning, 
Roger  Eoote, 
Asa  Foote, 
Allen  House, 

Mansfield. 
John  Anderson, 
Aaron  J-ines, 


Stephen  Crittenton, 
Giles  Cone, 
Alfred  Cone, 
Samuel  Cotton, 
Thomas  Child,  jr. 
Joseph  Crandall,  jr. 
Calvin  Cornwell, 
Samuel  Cooper, 
Elihu  Cotton  Jr. 
George  Durrie, 
Eleazer  Doud, 
Oliver  C  Denslow, 
Richard  Dillan, 
Franklin  Deming, 


Abel  Edwards, 
Marvin  Shumway,  Cyprian  Galpin, 


CONNECTICUT. 


379 


Samuel  Gay  lord,    John  S.  Sumner,  Oliver  Overtoil, 
William  Gaylord,    Arnbros  Seymour,  Silas  Oviath, 

Benjamin  Graves,    Edwin  Smith,  Samuel  Peck  jr. 

Ashly  Gibbs,  Quartus  Smith,  Michael  Peck,  3d. 

Benjamin  Hull,        Daniel  H.  Smith.  Ebenezer  Sturges,  6 

Samuel  Humphrey  ,Amasa  Savage,  Daved  Stoughton, 

I.  B.  Johnson,        Aaron  R.  Savage,  Mary  Stow, 
Jesse  Savage, 


William  Jones, 

Jehiel  Johnson, 

Stebbins  Johnson, 

John  Lees, 

William  Little, 

Samuel  Landers, 

Noah  Lucas, 

Isaac  Matoon, 

Henry  S.  Nichols,  John  Warner, 

Nathaniel  Newbury,Isaac  Warner, 


Wm.  Strong, 


Ashbel  Post, 
John  Pran, 
James  Parcells, 
John  Phillips, 
E.  M.  Pomeroy, 
Charles  Penfield, 
Barnni  Plume, 
William  Rainy, 


Jacob  Thompson,  Joseph  Whiting,  jr. 
Samuel  Trask,         J.  Whiting, 
Walter  Woodworth,         Montvitte. 
Asa  White,  Josiah  L.  Baker, 

Thomas  White,       Samuel  Comstock, 
Jacob  White,  2d.    W.  W.  Haughten, 
William  B.  Hart,  G.George  G.  Lathner3 
Caleb  Mapels, 
Betsey  Ransorc, 
David  Turner, 
Nem-Havm. 
William  C.Atwater, 
Moses  Bleecher,  jr. 
Isaac  Bassett, 


Samuel  Young, 
Milford. 

Philip  jBull, 

S.  JSurkingh^m, 

Lyman  Bradley, 

David  L,  .Baldwin,  Lemon  Chatfield, 

I.  .Bull,  Joseph  N.  Clark, 

Wm.  Bush,  Joel  Cook, 

Samuel  W.  Russell,F.  Coggshal},  Samuel  Chapman^ 

Phineas  Roberts.      Amanda  Davidson,  Solomon  Davis, 
Noadiah  Rockwell,  Mason  A.  Durand,  Julius  Darrow, 
Richard  Rand,         Francis  M.  French,  James  English, 
T.  Richardson,         Wm.  H.  Fowler,      Aaron  English, 
Horace  Stocking,    Samuel  B.  Gunc, 
William  Stonard,2dStephea  Hooker, 


A.  Savage  jr. 
John  S.  Sage, 
Jabc  '.  Straiton, 
©liv  r  Smith, 
Asa  cage 
W.  R.  Swatiiel, 
Benjamin  SueKs, 


John  Hepburn  jr. 
Noah  Kelsey, 

.^f-kw^od, 
Wm.  1  ' 
David  ^lills, 
Binajah  Mallery, 
^nson  Merwiu, 


Alpheus  Shumway.John  j,  Minor,  6. 
John  H.  Sumner,    Miles,  Strong  & 


James  P.  Starr, 


Miles, 


Waterman  Eddy, 
Nehemiah  B  Fishers 
Ebenezer  Fisher, 
Miles  Gorham,  jr. 
C.  Hequembourg  jr. 

-Hall, 

Gorham  ..&,  linker, 
:^1  Hotchkiss, 
Stephen  Hiue, 
Wyllys  H'.tchkiss 
John  Hubbard, 


6.  George 


380 


SUBSCRIBERS    NAMES. 


Joshua  M'Kee,        John  French, 

Ransom  Lines,        John  Ferguson,  jr. 

Shubel  Lines  John  A  Fulton, 

Zadok  Mack,  Joshua  Holt, 

William  Mansfield,  Wyllys  Hall, 

Budington  &,  Polly, Orlando  Hailam, 

William  Peckham,  Nathan  Howell, 

Stephen  S.  Porter,  Thomas  Hempsted.Samuel  White, 

Egbert  D.  Peck,      J,  Heinpsted,  £d.      Nancy  JFilliams, 

Aaron  S.  Raymond,David  Harris, 

Eice, Stone,  &  Co.  Colby  C  Holms, 

Edrnond  Smith,       George  I.  Jewett, 

Ebenezer  Thayer,  Chester  Kimball, 

William  Walter  jr.  Gurdon  Kimball, 

New  London.      Chester  Kimball,  jr  Ammon  Benedict, 
Enos  Ayres,  Daniel  Keeney,  3d.  Levi  Clinton, 

David  Adams,  jr.     Wm.  Lax,  Thomas  Fitch, 

Harrinton  Austin.     Asa  Lay,  Samuel  R.  Gibbs, 

Jeremiah  Brairard,  Thomas  Luvin,        John  W.  Hanford, 
Charles  Butler,         Hustin  Lewis,  Stephen  Johnson, 

Chauncey  Butler,     E.  L  Man  warring,  Joseph  Keeler, 


Richard  Savage, 
Joseph  Sistare, 
Asa  Spencer, 
Renry  P.  Taber, 
Isaac  Thomson,  2d. 
Benjain  Turpin, 
Thomas  Williams, 


Joseph  FFilliams, 
Joshua  M.  Young, 
Wm.  Young, 

Norwalk. 
A.  &.N.  Beers,  S. 


Wm.  Butter, 

Alanson  Miller, 

William  Lockwood, 

L..H  Bulkeley, 

John  Maniene, 

Alfred  Malleery, 

John  O'Brine, 

E.  P  Miner, 

Benjamin  St.  John, 

Hubbil  Brooks, 

EHsha  Miller, 

Norwich. 

Amos  Baldwin, 

Amasa  Miller,  6. 

Timothy  Andrews, 

C.  Baldwin  jr.  2. 

John  Mason,  2d. 

Wm.  Aibertson, 

Samuel  Coit,  2d. 

N.  Otis, 

Samuel  Allen, 

Alfred  Chester, 

Joshua  Potter, 

Gurdon  Armstrong, 

Wm.  C   Coster, 

Jarnes  Pettera, 

L.  Armstrong, 

Wm.  H.  Clark, 

Alfred  Pember, 

Jabez  Armstrong,  jr 

Elihu  Crocker, 

David  Prentis, 

Oliver  Avery, 

Josiah  Clarke,jr. 

Kirnbell  Prince, 

Giles  Buckingham, 

Charles  Cobb, 

Henry  Roberts, 

Seabury  Brewster, 

John  Coit, 

C  h  arl  es  JR.ee  d,r 

TTm.  C.  /?oon, 

Samuel  Coit, 

Zeoha:  Risfcy/ 

Eleazer  Bushnell, 

I    Cr^Mr 

John  Robp^-tson, 

John  D   Brown, 

-lames  Dennison, 

Zebadiah  Rodgers, 

Thomas  Burnham, 

Pt,,.--;\i  UaiTOW, 

Jormthan  Starr,  jr. 

Simon  Backus, 

George  Destin, 

Nath.  Saltonstall, 

Charles  I^urdick, 

Charles  Dart, 

J.  B.  Sheffield, 

Jarnes  N.  Barber, 

.  Prink,  Wm.  Stolkjuan,      Join*  Backus, 


381 


Oliver  Batfy, 
James  F.  jBrown, 
Eraslus  Coit, 
Joseph  Chester, 
Horace  Colton, 


Phileman  Havens,   John 
Gilbert  Huntington,  B.  P.  battles, 
Edward  Harland,     Joseph  William?, 
George  D.  Harris,   Caleb  Woodworth, 
Philip  Huntington,  Henry  Ward, 


Thomas  Cowdrey,  Ebenezer  Hyde,  jr.  John  Yale, 

Vine  Hovey,  Theophilus  Yale> 

Nathl.  Henrick,  Plainfield. 

Eben'r.  Hempsted,  Wm.  Bliss, 
James  Huntington,  John  Bastholic, 
Shubael  Hibbard,     Silas  Bailey,  jr. 
Park  Lucas,  John  Cleveland, 

Ebedezer  Latham,  Oliver  Coats, 
Jacob  Lumbard,       Rufus  Davisonr 
?/Iathew  LeffingwellJoel  Dimmock, 


a.  Clegg. 

H.  L.  Champlin, 
Wm:  Collyhan, 
George  W.  Clark, 
John  Cox, 
I.  P.  Chapman, 
Wm.  Chip  man, 
I.  R.  Corns tock, 
Wm.  Chapman, 
Samuel  Case, 
Samuel  Charleton,  Daniel  Leach, 
Abner  Crawley,        Simon  Lathrop, 
Ann  Calkins, 
Daniel  A   Cary, 
Jedediah  Corning, 
I.  Caswold, 
I.  F.  Coney, 
Mecijah  Davis, 
Hannah  Dunham, 
G.  W.  Daniels, 
Gilbert  Denison, 
Joshua  Davis, 


Elias  Lord, 


Leonard  Lamb, 
Lura  Larcumb, 
Abel  Malison, 
Thos.  Marshall,  jr. 
Samuel  Manning, 
James  Maples, 
John  Nichols, 
Betsy  Newbiny, 
L.  M.  Rockwell, 
Dyar  Raymond, 


Derutha  Edgerton,  Joseph  Rogers, 

Gurdon  Edgerton,    Henry  Reonalds, 

Wm.  Edgerton, 

James  Fowler, 

James  Peliraore, 

George  Gilbert, 

Thomas  Gavit, 

Asa  Gavit, 

Daniel  D.  Gifford, 


Wilber  Eldrid, 
Nathaniel  French, 
Arnold  Fenner, 
Win.  Hopkins, 
Allen  Harris, 
Wm.  Harris, 
Samuel  Hartshorn, 
Reuben  Jephersonr 
John  Lester,  6. 
John  Mash, 
Henry  C.  Miller, 
Gideon  Moury, 
James  Ormsbee, 
Ransom  Perkins, 
Sanford  Pearce, 
N.  C.  Pearce, 


Samuel  Story,  jr. 

Joseph  Streamback,Chester  Park,- 

Charles  Sherman,    John  Paine, 


Roger  Smith, 

Nathan  Story, 

Caleb  Snell, 

Nathaniel  Tray, 

Charles  Godell,        Albert  Turney, 
Judah  Hart,  Cary  Throop, 

Ephraim  Harris,       Simond  Thomas,  SdKarvey  Bhepardj 
Felix  A.  HuntingtonErastus  Torrey,       Daniel  Wilcox, 
Elijah  Herick;          David  Taber,  Bennet  Wheeler, 


Daniel  Read, 
Joseph  Robertson, 
Isaac  Smith, 
Waterman  Shepard 
Wm.  Stewart, 
Reuben  Scott, 


sea 


SUBSCRIBERS    NA3M3S* 


Brownel  WilkinsonTitus  Seymour 

Pomfret.  L.  Smith. 

Daniel  Perrin,  jr.  6.  Warren. 

Gurdon  Robinson,  6 David  Hopkins. 
Preston .  Say  brook. 

Abraham  S.  Avary,John  Bull, 
Erastus  Bailey,        Daniel  Bates, 
Lyman  Bacon,         Levi  Buckingham,  Gyres  Bates 
Haddeus  C.  Brace,  Eben'r  Bushnell,  2dGurdon  Bailey 


David  Williams,  3<f 
Charles  Whittlesey, 

Somers. 
Noah  Bulkley, 
Vashni  Hall 

Sterling. 
Wheaton  Bailey 


Henry  Baker, 
N.  C.  Bowen, 

Chester  Butts,  Wm   Crane, 

Weden  Clark  jr.  Bani  Denison, 

John  Corning,  Sprague  G  Fish, 

John  Clapp,  Ezekiel  Glover, 

Leonard  Edwards,  Richard  Hayden, 

Frederick  Fanning,  Wm.  B.  Hayden, 


Jabez  Bushnell,       Nathan  Bench!  us 
Gameliel  Conklin,  Elias  Blanchard 


William  Field, 
Asa  W.  Fanning, 
Bamutl  Green, 
Clark  Kinney, 
John  Keigwin,  6. 
Leonard  Kegg, 
Phineas  Money, 
Robart  Money, 
John  Packer, 
Henry  Palmer, 
James  Read,  2d. 
Joseph  Simons, 
Russel  Starke, 
John  L  Spencer, 
John  Scholfield; 
George  Skinner, 
Ezra  M   Spa  Wing, 
Randolph  Tailor, 
Giles  B.  Tanner, 


Samuel  Filbur 
Stephen  G.  Feld 
George  S.  Seymour 
Nathan  Wilbour 
G  A.  Whitman 

Suffield. 

Thomas  Archer,  jr; 
Stephen  Adams, 
Shelden  Bement, 
George  Bradley, 
Justin  Granger 
Horace  Hosmer 
Joseph  Harris 


Newton  TourtellattsCharles  Tiley, 
Miner  Walden         Oliver  Willson, 
John  S   Williams 

Plymouth. 
Bela  Biakeslee 
Leveritt  Bishop 


Elihu  Ingham, 

Samuel  Loomis, 

W.  Latimer, 

E.  S.  Marther, 

Jesse  Murray, 

Asa  Pratt, 

Sely  Post, 

Farnham  Parma!ee,Christopher  Jones 

Lines'  R.  Pratt,         Jonah  King,  jr. 

Humphrey  Pratt,     Amos  Sikes 

George  Read,  Chauncey  Stiles,  jr. 

Aaron  Stevens,  Warren. 

G.  Southworth,  2d.  David  Hopkins 

Noah  Scovelly  Waterford. 

Felix  Starkey,         D.  G.  Otis. 

Alpheus  Starkey,          V/aterlown. 

George  Spencer,     Andrew  Bryan. 

Daniel  Spencer,  Weikersfietd. 

Noah  Starkey,         David  Aledes 
Samuel  Bull 
John  Bulkley 
Richard  Bunce 
Simeon  Butler 


Ezra  Williams, 
Erastus  Williams, 
Richard  Williams, 


John  Boardmaa 


A.  P.  Williams,  2d.Hosea  Blirni,  jr. 


CONNECTICUT. 


383 


John  Butler  George  Rhodes 

Wm.  Blinn  Henry  Robbins 

Levi  Blinn  Allen  Riley 

Joseph  Buckley       Eben'r.  Stillman 
Frederick  Buckley  James  Treat 
Allen  Belden  Timothy  Wright 

Thomas  Warner 
Chester  Wells 
Thomas  Wells 
Leonard  Wells 


Abraham  Crane, 

Elisha  Coleman 

Simeon  Churchill, 

Timothy  Clarke 

Wm.  Coney, 

Joseph  Dimmock 

Luke  Fortune 

Harvey  Dickerson  Sherman  Wells 

Samuel  Dimmoek   Wells  Warner 

Daniel.  Francis 

Ira  Fortune 

Simeon  Francis 

Jas.  Francis 

Mathew  Francis 

Daniel  Fuller 

Eleazer  Goodrich 

Oliver  Goodrich 

Jesse  Goodrich 

Joshua  Goodrich 

Israel  Goodrich 

Levi  Goodrich 


Horace  Wells 
Henry  Wells 
Joseph  Wells 


Elisha  Woolcott, 

Windsor. 
Wm.  T.  Allyn 
J.  H.  Andrews 
Joseph  S.  Avery 
Wm.  S.  Benton 
Daniel  Barker 
Richard  Butler 
Philip  Barnes 
Jerijah  Barber 
Hooker  Clark 


Wm.  Hayden 
Benjamin  Harget 
Dyer  Harris 
Eli  Hoskins 
Amos  Hatheway 
Lyman  Loomis 
Ira  Loomis 

D.  Lawrence  jr. 
2d. Joshua  Latham 

Allyn  M.  Marther,  6 
Naum  Moor  jr. 
P.  Newton  jr. 
Richard  Niles 
Win.  Porter 

E.  Palmer 
Benjamin  Palmer 
Alvey  Rowland 
Oliver  Strong 
JRichard  G.  Smith 
Hylus  Stiles 
Abner  Squire  jr. 
T.  B.  Strickland 
Chester  Soper 
Henry  L.  Soper 
Walter  Warner 
Elijah  Wridge 
Locmis  Warner 
Barnabas  Whiting 


Grove  Clark 

James  Griswoid,  2d.  Zophar  Case 

Thomas  Griswoid   Theodore  Caldwell  Heeekiah  Wells 
George  Gi iswold,  2dSamuel  Colton,  jr.  Moses  Wilson 
Moses  Griswoid       David  Drake,  jr.      Ebenezer  Young 
Geerge  Hills  Bildad  Drake,  East-Windsor. 

John  Harris  Lemuel  Drake        Barber  Allen 

Samuel  Harrison    Martin  Denslow,  jr.George  B.  Atwell 
Moses  Hurlburt       Israel  Dible  Asa  Bow 

Uzziel  Havens        Giles  Els  worth         John  Brown 
Levi  Hatch  Pitts  Fuller  John  Bates 

Frederic  Hale          Abiel  B.  Griswold  Rufus  Chafee 
Jesse  M'Intire          Wm.  Griswoid         Jesse  Charlton 
Lyman  North          Henry  Halsoy          Charles  Cooley 
Henry  Olmsted        Henry  Hosmer         Daniel  French 
Richard  Price          Anson  B.  Hayden  Norman  Fish 


NAMES, 


Stillman  Blake 
David  Cutting 
Wheton  Cozzens 
Apollus  Cusbman 
John  Draper,  jr. 
Ellihu  Daggett,  jr. 
SO.  Draper 
Ira  Draper 
Ebenezer  Draper 


Henry  Gil  man 
Epaphras  Grant 
Dalvin  Gibbs 
Nicholas  Gardner 
Camel  Gardner 
Joel  Holkin,  6. 
Eli  B.  Haskall 
Charles  Jenks 
Bishop  Johnson 

John  C.  Kingsbury  Thomas  French 
Luke  Loomis  Joab  Fuller 

Stodard  Lord  Israel  Hatch 

Elijah  Lathrop         Leprilete  Hunt 
Chauncey  Munsell  Eiias  Ingrahani 
Samuel  More 
Wm.  Parsons 
P.  Parsons 
Daniel  Phelps 
Augustus  Prior 
James  Pelton 
Martin  Rockwell 
Elijah  F.  Reed,  2d.  John  Richardson 
Curtis  Skinner         John  R.  Robinson 
Wm.  M.  Strong 
Wareham  Strong 
Noah  Smith,  6. 
David  S  tough  ton 
Ashbel  Trenton 
Anson  Thomson 
Silas  Wells 
James  Watson 
James  Whipple 
MASSACHUSETTS 

Mleb&rougk. 
John  Alexander 
Benj.  Balkcom 
Daniel  Babcock 
Jesse  Brown 
Darius  Briggs,  jr. 


Elijah  Ingraham 

Joseph  Lang 

Lemuel  May 

Thomas  C.  Martin  Daniel  Lyman 

A.  Richardson,  jr,     Joel  Parsons,  jr. 

Edward  Richardsonlchabod  Wright 


Hoel  Smfth 
BrimfieM. 

Samuel  Patten 
Dedhavn. 

Paul  Ellis 

Dighton. 

Hezekiah  Anthony 

Smith  Capron,  6. 

Samuel  Williams 
East-Hampton. 

Samuel  Bartiett 

Solomon  Clarke 

James  Clapp 

Uriel  Clark 

Solomon  Ferry 

Obadiah  lanes,  2d. 

Justis  Lyman 


Otis  Robinson 


Andrus  Bowen 
B.  M.  Brown 


Ezekiel  Robinson 
Amos  Sweet 
Samuel  Tingley 
Joseph  Witherell 
Eaton  Whiting 
Bellingham. 
Truman  Clark 
Tyler  Daniels 
Boston. 

Rodney  Backly 
Asrustus  Burr 
David  Cotton 
John  Davis 
John  Farnsworth 
Charles  Larkin 
John  B.  Lord 
Jacob  Pratt 
Benjamin  Pike 


Win.  Blackinton,  jr. Nathaniel  Payne 


Fairhaven. 
Samuel  Boiden 
Andrew  Backus 
John  Bresfer 
James  Church 
Sylvanus  Hitch 
Michael  Hammond 
William  Mitchill 
Jonathan  Pope 
William  Staples 
John  Taber,  jr. 
Cyrus  White 
Luther  Wilson,  6 
W.  White  &  Co,  6 

Framingham. 
Samuel  Murdock 

Fran/din. 
Bethuel  Boyd 
Davis  Thayer 

Granville. 
John  Seld^n 
Stephen  Furaer 


MASSACHUSETTS, 


Hadky. 
.Robart  Cook 
James  Cook 
Elijah  Dickinson 
Levy  Dickinson 


Elias  Taylor  jr. 
Calvin  Wait 
Lyman  White 
Ezra  White 
Josiah  White 


Asahel  Adams,  6, 
Bele  Beals 
Asa  Beals 
Otis  Chapin,  6. 
Banirel  Clark 


Joseph  Eastman  2dAmos  C.  Whitmore  Samuel  Fisher,  jr 


Artemas  Estabrook  Hatfield. 

David  Jones  jZiba  Allen 

Giles  C.  Kellogg      Seth  Bardwell 
Calvin  Marsh  Joseph  Billings 

Cotton  Nash  Otis  Brown 

Theodore  Partridge  William  Beals 
Thomas  Reynolds  Elisha  Bates,  jr. 
Oliver  Smith  Jared  C.  Burdick 

William  Sjnith         Cornillus-  Chapins 
Eli  &  Euos  Smith  John  D.  Curtis 


Pliny  Day 

;i  Dickinson 


Caleb  Dickinson 
Moses  Field, 
Erastus  Graves 
Solomon  Graves 
Samuel  Graves 
John  Uovvland,  jr. 


Joseph  Smith 
J<  hn  Ship  man 
Cateb  Smith 
Lemuel  Warner 
El ih u  Warner 
Cook  &  Warner 
Daniel  White,  jr. 
Sainnel  Wood 

South  Hod-ley. 
Robert  Brainard 
Roland  Brown 
Aaron  Bartlett 
Arunath  Collins 
Joseph  Clarke 
Theophilus  Graves  Henry  Wilke.  jr. 
Mathew  Kellogg      Elijah  White' 
Wm.  Knight 
Samuel  Knight 
Frederick  Loomer 
John  Preston 
Horace  Parsons 
Warren  Smith 
Joel  W.  Smiih 


Willard  Gay 
Howard  Hick?on 
Amos  Harding 
Joel  Hunt 
Oliver  S.  Hars 
Nahum  Howard 
Luther  Haws 
Joseph  Hacket 
David  Onion 
Timothy  M.  Puffer 
Ziba  Partridge 
Charles  Richardson 
William  Dickinsen  Sewall  Sanford 


Stephen  Sanford 
Cephus  Thayr 
Joseph  W.  Wight 
Jonathan  White 

Mendon. 
Baalis  Bullard 


Horatio  G.  Knight  W.  Bennet 
Moses  Morton          Wealthy  Carver 
William  Morton 
Moses  Strong 


Oliver  Smith 


Hiram  Smith 
Ralph  Snow.  6, 
Ralph  Stebbins 


Levereft, 

Henry  Puffer 
Ludlow. 
Ephraim  Gates 

Medfield. 
Enoch  Bullard 
George  Ellis 
Samuel  Johnson 

Medrnay, 
Caleb  Albee 
Kk 


Oliver  Gardner 
Lucius  Ingalls 
Joseph  Ingraham 
Paul  F.  Kimball 
Robert  Law  ton 
Peleg  Peckharn 
James  Sals  bury 
'Henry  Thayr 
Naharn  Thayr 
James  Tharber 
Moses  Tallom 
Giles  Thurpin 
Warren  Tisdale 
Olney  W.  Paine 
William  Wheeler 


SUBSCRIBERS   NAMES. 


Samuel  Wheloek   Eben'r.  Campbell 

Middlehorough.     Joseph  C.  Clark 
Joseph  Bourn,  6.     Joshua  Curtis 
Levi  Pierce,  8.         Dean  Caswell 
B.  Sheparci,  jr.     6.  Morris  Clapp 
Milford.  James  Clapp 

Samuel  Penneman  Lemuel  Clapp 

N&v-Bedford.      Zenas  Clapp 
W.  &  G.  Allen        Eben'r.  Clapp,  jr. 
Ilezekiah  Babcock  Warliam  Clapp 


Ansehn  Clapp 
Chester  Clark 
Benjamin  Clark 
Sydenham  Clark 
Alanson  Clark 
Sereno  Clark 
Henry  Chapin,  jr. 


Caleb  Bryant 

J.  M  Chaloner 

Barney  Cory 

Wm.  Gordon 

John  Gilbert 

Jabez  Hammond 

John  Harrison 

Samuel  W.  Heath  Wm.  Coolidge 

Caleb  Jenny,  jr.       L.  Carter 
John  Doak 
Luther  Davis 
Theodore  Elder 
Timothy  Everett 
Gideon  Edwards 
Benjamin  Edwards 
Hermon  Fisher 
George  Force 
H.  T.  Hooker 
Harvy  Hawks 
Nahum  Hay  ward 
Asa  Jones 
David  Judd,  12. 
Ezra  Jewett 

Thos.  WoodbridgeDavid  Kelton 
Northampton.      Enos  Kingsiey,  jr. 
Wm,  M.  fenapp 
Rodney  Leonard 


Miles  Jones 
Isaac  Kempton 
Robinson  Lewis 
Gideon  Nye 
Wm.  C.  Nye 
John  Pickens 
Nathaniel  Perry 
Merselus  Post 
Wm.  Rotch,jr. 
Nathaniel  Rogers 
Samuel  Rodman 
James  Rissner 
Bennet  Wiicox 
Eliakim  Willis 


Robert  Andrews 
Charles  J.  Allen 
Abijah  Brown 
Nathaniel  Baker 
George  Bridgnian 


Elisha  Morgan 
George  Malcome 
Elisha  Marther 

EUsha  Babcock,  jr.  Jonathan  Norwood 
Henry  Barnard  Win.  W.  Partrige 
Edmund  Campbell  Rufus  Phelps 


George  Parsons 
Nathaniel  Phelps,  jr. 
Ebenezer  Phelps 
Seth  Russell 
Win.  Rose,  2. 
Levi  Russell 
Nathan  Storrs 
Elisha  Smith 
Samuel  Spencer 
George  Smith 
Joseph  Strong 
Bela  Strong 
John  Symmes 
Asenath  Snnford 
Jesse  B.  Street 
Zebina  Smith 
Watts  Turner 
Noah  Wolcott 

Nwthbridge. 
Ezra  W.  Fletcher 
Ezra  Fletcher 
Norton. 

Nathan  Dean,  jr. 
Lemuel  Perry 
Zophar  Skinner 

Plainfetd. 
John  Mack 

Portsmouth. 
Samuel  Clark 
Springfield. 
Epaphroditus  Allis 
Edmund  Allen,  jr. 
Arthur  Andrus 
Caleb  Aklen 
David  Allen 
Eliphalet  Abby 
Johna.  BJiss 
Henry  Bates 
Urbana  W.  Butler 
Elijah  Blake 
Jeremiah  Beals 
Edward  Bliss 
Harvev  Bidwel! 


MASSACHUSETTS. 


809 


Vvm.  Ball 

Zenas  Hancock 

David  Rice 

Allen  Bangs 

Lutber  Hosmer 

William  Rogers 

Uri  Bishop 

Andrew  Hyde,  2d. 

Thomas  Rogers 

David  Barber 

Levi  Jones 

£inri  Richmond 

Calvin  Barret 

Stephen  Jones 

James  Russell 

Alfred  Bates 

John  D   Jones 

Austin  Sled  man 

Benj.  A.  Bennet 

Abiram  P.  Knapp 

Henry  Sargeant 

Charles  Burnham 

Surminas  King 

Caleb  Stebbins 

Walter  Bates 

Mervin  Kirkiand 

Aaron  Spencer 

John  Barlow 

William  Lloyde 

Russei  Sage 

Joel  Brown 

Jabez  Lame 

John  S.  Savory 

Joseph  Carew 

David  Leonard 

Joroun  Strong 

David  Chapman 

Charles  Lathrap 

Elijah  Snell 

Henry  Comstock 

Oliver  Lathrop 

Alexander  Stocking 

Levi  Chandler 

Eli  Moore 

Henry  Stark  ey 

John  Crook 

Martin  Moses 

Jonn  Sherret 

Amos  Carrulh 

Outin  Murphy 

David  Sikes,  jr. 

Enoch  Chapin 

Marvin  Mudge 

Willard  Sprout 

Zaphney  Curtis 

Orn  Morhoey 

Simon  Sanborn 

Samuel  Carter 

Cyras  Newell 

John  Stebbins 

Jedediah  Cap  en 

Sylvester  Nash 

Ged  Sficket 

Nathan  Crocker 

Oliver  Newton 

Silas  Templer 

Nathan  Chandler 

Philip  Oratt 

Benjamin  S.  Tufts 

Owen  Dickinson 

Horace  Osbone 

Norman  Trask 

Caleb  Ellison 

James  Otis 

Luther  Vanhorn 

Jacob  Easty 

William  Parks 

Jeremy  Warriner 

Reuben  N.  ForwardCharles  Packard 

Asa  Wood,  jr. 

Enoch  Fletcher 

Naham  Patch 

Elija  Wilson 

Samuel  Fuller 

Stephen  Fopkin 

A.  B.  Wads  worth 

Lewis  Foster 

Asa  Parsons 

James  Wolcott 

Wm.  H.  Foster 

John  Partrick 

Preserved  White 

Stephen  Field 

Simeon  Pomeroy 

Eber  Ward 

John  Grannells 

David  Parsons 

Ariel  Warner 

Parley  Grovenor 

Amos  Putnam 

Luther  Ware  well 

Elisha  Gunn 

Benjamin  Phelps 

John  H.  Winslow 

Lewis  GoodenoughJoseph  Pease 

Martin  Whice 

Gideon  Gardner 

Otis  M.  Quivey 

John  Wood.  2d. 

Timo.  Herrington 

Horace  Richardson  Sam  uel  Wardwell 

Samuel  Hawkins 

George  Reynold 

Nathan  M.  Wood 

Daniel  Harfuny 

Joseph  Roberts 

Calvin  Wright,  2d. 

Walter  Hitchcock 

Sables  Rogers 

West-  Springfield. 

Ransley  Hall 

George  Reynolds 

Benjamin  Ashley  jr. 

Ira  House 

400 


Sl/BSCRIBERS   NAMfcS. 


Joseph  Ashley,  jr.    Preston  Smith 
Araunah  Allen         Harry  Stiles 
Benjamin  J.  Allen  P.  Steaphenson 
Justin  Ashley  Henry  Tuttle 

Ira  Bradley  Chandler  Todd 

Charles  Brockett     Luther  Vanhorrf 
Theodore  Bellows  Elisha  Winchel 
Oliver  Bagg 
Linas  Bagg 
Szekiel  Bagg 
Simon  Brooks 
Aaron  Bagg 
Cabel  Bliss 


Daniel  Wildman,  j?, 

Walpole. 
Michael  Brown 
Ebenezer  Battle 
Harvy  Clap 
Laz/are  Coste 
James  II.  Clark 

Jesse  Whitman  jr.  Edward  G.  Cundall 
Josiah  L.  Warner     Maynard  B.  Clap 


1V.  Butler,  Jr. 
William  S.  Bowe 
Isaac  Bowe 
Abraham  Bagg 


Eli  Burt 

John  Cooper 

Elea&er  Day 

Edmund  Day 

Moses  Day 

John  Dorrell 

Joel  D arrow 

JRusseH  Ely 

Mulford  Eldrige 

Martin  Ely 

Daniel  Ely 

John  Ely,  jr. 

Jonathan  E  Ferry  Josiah  L.  James  6 


Sutlon. 
John  Whipple 

Swanky. 
John  Kelton,  jr. 

Tauntwn. 
David  Andrus 
Elkanah  Andrus 
Charles  Babbitt 
Edward  Crassman 
Benjamin  Cooper 
James  Crossman 
Charles  Cobb 
James  Dean,  jr. 
James  Dan  forth 
Hilliard  Earl 
Nathan  Fisher 


Joseph  W.  Gay 
John  Himt 
Galon  Mann 
David  Morse,  jr. 
Samuel  Parke 
Henry  Plimpton 
Nathan  Pond,  2d 
Curtis  Pat  ridge 
John  Stevens 
Seth  Smith,  2d  \ 
Jonathan  Wild,  jr. 
Thomas  S.  Webb^ 

Westlutmpton. 
Noah  Cook 

Willirtmsburgh. 
Alfred  H.  Rodman 
Wrenlham. 


Alba  Kimball  6 
Luther  Lane 
Josiah  Loomis 
Asa  Leonard 
Roswell  Morgan 
Asa  Miller,  jr. 
Edmund  Palmer 
Luther  Philips 
Joshua  Street 
Joel  Smith 
William  Smith 
J.  Smith,  jr. 


Nathaniel  Fales 

James  L.Hodges  6  Ray  &  Clark 
William  C.  Hood     John  Fisher 
Samuel  Hilton         Joseph  Feltt 

Borak  Lf  Fuller 

Seth  Johnson  Nathan  Farrington 

Charles  Porter          Aaron  Farrington 
William  Presbrey  jr. Harvy  Hayford 
Billings  Presbury     Sarhuel  Haws 
Zache's  RichardsonKollock  Ide 
Joseph  Reed,  jr.  6  Henry  Leman 
John  Reed  Elias*Metcalf 

J.  W.  Seabury,  jr.    Harvy  Reed 
C.  Washburn        .  Daniel  Tolman,  jr, 
William  WashburhAllea  Tillipghast 
Henry  Wasldiurn 
Isaac  Wasliburii,  jr. 


NEW  YORK. 


401 


NEW- YORK. 
Albany  fy  Colonie. 
Samuel  R.  Adams 
Pliney  Allen 
Asa  K.  Allen 
Joseph  Adams 
Lucy  Allen 
Samuel  Adams 
Adams  &  Crary 
David  Angus 
Seth  Arnold 
Tilly  Allen 
David  Allen         6 
Gilbert  Ackerman 
Jacob  B  Angus 
Oliver  Andrews 
Mathias  Austin 
Mathew  Ashe 
Daniel  Albertson 
Amasa  Albee 
Joseph  Avery 
Win.  Allanson 
Galen  Avery 
Andrew  Abel 
Elizabeth  Arnold 
John  Alexander 
Dennis  Allen 
Henry  W.  Bratt 
Roswell  Babbit 
John  Brown 
Isaac  Burton 
Wm   Babb 
Isaac  Brotherton 
Jonathan  Burt 
Harris  Belote 
Sarah  Blakeman 
G.  V.  S.  Bleecker 
Hugh  Bradford 
Samuel  Bates 
Allen  Brov/nson 
Austin  Bonny 
James  C.  Bebee 


James  Black 
Francis  Barnes 
David  Biakeman 
Timothy  Brigden 
Charles  Blakley 


Sybrant  Bleecker 
Edward  Bulkier 
Charles  Boynton 
Benjamin  Burt 
Jock  Barbour 


Baruch  Bolster,  jr.  R.  W    Brower 


John  Burt 
Nathl.  W  Benton 
John  B  riant 
Samuel  Brimhall 
Mary- Ann  Butler 
Margaret  Barton 
Catharine  Bell 
Robert  Boyd 


David  Brown 
Lucretia  Brainard 
Elizabeth  Blackhall 
Myles  Byrne 
Samuel  Bell 
Jonas  Butterfield 
George  W.  Barnes 
Calvin  Builer 


Elizabeth  BrowningJohn  Burt 


Azor  Brown 
Sarah  Brush 
Margaret  Berry 
Simon  Bates 
Samuel  Baxter 
John  W.  Barrie 
Earl  Bridges 


J.  H.  Brower 
Jno  Blackman 
Hannah  E  Colhoun 
Shubael  B.  Coffin  ' 
James  Chambers 
Samuel  Gate 
Elisha  Craw 


Alex.  H.  Benedict  John  S.  Colbath 


Nathan  Builurd 
Henry  J.  Bogart 
John  Bennit 
J.  S.  Burrell 
Alexander  Beatty 
Allen  Brown 
Miles  Benjamin 
Wm.  Bigelovr 
Catharine  Bowne 
John  M.  Beath 
John  Browning 
John  Bootmaa 
Charles  Bruce 
Jonathan  Betton 
James  Bloomer 
John  Bndgeford 
Simeon  Brov/n 
Robert  Brown 
James  G.  Bishop 


Peter  Cure 
Thomas  Calkin 
Thomas  Chambers 
Luther  Center 
Joseph  Crop  sett 
James  Cahlwell 
Smith  Cogswell 
Daniel  P.  Clarke 
Francis  Clow 
Amos  Choate 
Sarah  Clark 
Geo.  D  Carmicuac-1 
Alex.  Chestney 
Robert  Colling 
John  D.  M*  Cars  on 
Henry  Cronk 
George  Charles 
Stephen  Covert 
John  Clark 


402 


SUBSCRIBERS   NAMES. 


George  Churchill     Henry  Dyre 
John  Clifford  John  Dennis 

John  Cassidy  Ralph  Day 

Jennet  Courtney      Thomas  Dawson 
Margaret  Courtney  Ephraim  Dewitt 
Cornelius  J.  CuylerThomas  Durand 
Maxon  Crandail       John  Doig 
Fitch  Coy  Sophia  Dyer 

Freeman  S.  ClenchLewis  Doty 
Benjamin  Clench     Joseph  Dennison 
David  Capron 
John  Claminony 
Wm.  H.  Crocker 
Mary  Curreen 
Benjamin  Capron 
John  S.  Clark 
John  Cunningham 


James  Craw 
John  Case 
Martha  Collier 
Polly  Coons 
Lieut.  Campbell 
Chandler  Carter 
Samuel  Clark 
-David  Christian 
Peter  Cowan 
Daniel  Connell 
Jacob  Clemmer 
Patrick  O'Conlen 
Thomas  Cole 
Isaac  Chapman 
Wm.  Clark 
Rufus  Clark 
Daniel  Dana 
Betsey  Doanfc 
Thomas  D  wight 
Joseph  Divoll 
Patrick  Davison 


Rebecca  Denney 
Robert  Dunlap 
John  Dickson 
R.  W.  Davenport 
Thomas  Day,  jr. 
G.  V.  Deniston 
Eliza  Davison 
R.  V.  DeWitt 
A.  W.  Danforth 
John  Deney 
Clarissa  Dean 
John  Dodge 


Timothy  Fish 
Harriot  Forbs 
Benoni  B.  Forman 
Thomas  Fryer 
Elihu  Frisbic 
Benjamin  Ferriss 
Abrrn.  B.  Friday 
Bristol  C.  Fox 
Gilbert  Frost 
George  Forsyth 
Timothy  Fletcher 
Hannah  Friday 
Samuel  A.  Foot 
Abraham  Failing 
Jonathan  Fryer 
Isaac  Fowler,  jr. 
Abraham  Fonda 
Thomas  Fisk 
John  D.  Fisher 
John  Fay 
Isaac  Fonda 
Isaac  Furshe 


Thomas  Donnelly  Mary  Fuller 

Jacob  Downing  Dorcas  Fisk 
Andrew  DalrympleAIexander  Fraser 

Nathaniel  Davison  Adaline  Foster 

David  S.  Dodge  Wm.  Groesbeck 

John  F.  Evertson  Catharine  Gordon 

John  Eddy  Robert  Gilmer 

Sally  Eppes  Robert  J.  Gillespie 

Warham  Edwards  James  Gourley 

Jesse  Everett  Samuel  Gardner 

John^Emmert  Noah  Gifford 

Roswell  Eaton  Lucinda  Gere 

Eben  S.  Edgerton  Newman  Gilbert 


Robert  Egan 
J.  Eutyberger 
Andrew  Elliott 
Hezekiah  Davison  Alexander  Forbs 
Pelatiah  D  wight       Hugh  Fraser 
Elizabeth  Dyas        Samuel  Falter 
Warner  Daniels       Benjamin  Fassell 


Rufus  Green 
Simon  M.  Griffiin 
Mathew  Gregory 
John  W.  Great 
John  M.  D.  Garso^ 
Wm.  Gillespie 
Wm.  Gibba 


NEW-YOBK, 


403 


Darius  Gere  Harley  Hosford 

James  P.  Gould       Noah  Howard 
T.  V.  W.  Gould      Frederick  J.  Ham 
John  Giles  George  Hanford 

Daniel  Gager  Jona.  Hocktaling 

John  Gibson  Ebenezer  Hafford 

Silas  Gregory  Jabez  Hills 

J.  V.  B.  Garbrance  Elizabeth  Hooker 
S.  W,  Goodwia       Samuel  Hinman 
Stephen  Gay  John  Henderson 

Amey  Green  James  Hoogbkerk 

Christian  GrosbeckGordon  Hutchins 
David  Godden        John  Hooker 
Catharine  GresbeckAmos  Hutchings 
John  Garrey  Mary  Higbee 

Daniel  W.  GlashanMartha  Hart 
Benjamin  Goy         Eliza  Heet 
Blaria  Hunn  George  Harper 

Abraham  Higham    Hugh  Humphrey 
Thomas  HeadswickJohn  Harrison 


John  D.  Hunn 
Jacob  Hutchins 
John  Harmon 
John  Hyde 
Robert  Henry 
John  P.  Higgins 
Azel  Hooker 
James  Hilton 
J.  W.  Hingerland 
Lucas  Hooghkerk 
David  Hawthorn 
Solomon  Hass 
Samuel  Henry 
Wm.  Hilton 
Hector  Hubbard 


John  Henry 
James  P.  Howland 
Stephen  Haskell 
Wm.  Houston 
Richard  J.  Holmes 
Jane  Hartley 
John  Hardman 
Etiphalet  Hawley 
Maltby  Howell 
Thompson  Hord 
Thomas  Hendlevv 
Israel  Hustell 
Samuel  Harbecfe 
John  Harrison 
Jacob  Hindrer 


Maria  Hendrickson  Eliza  Hagerty 


Wm  Hall 
E.  &  E.  Hosford 
Ralph  Hosford 
Samuel  Hall 
Jacob  Hindrer 
4rtliur  llotehkiss 


Joseph  Hall 
Edward  Hunter 
John  Hamilton 
Eliphalet  Jones 
Asa  D.  Johnson 
John  Jones 


John  S.  Jones 
James  Jenkins 
M.  P.  Jackson 
Marsh  John 
Amasa  Joslin 
George  Ingraham 
Joseph  Ingrahani 
Wm.  Johnson 
N.  Joralemon,  jr. 
Jeremiah  Jones 
Thomas  Jones,  jr. 
Elisha  Johnson 
Luther  Jone» 
James  Jaquay 
Jason  Kinsla 
Mary  F.  Keeler 
Clayton  Kindai 
Catharine  Kellogg 
Mary  Keeney 
Rev.  John  Keys 
Bartholomew  Kene 
Graham  Klinck 
Moses  Kenyan 
John  G.  Klink 
Thos.  Knowlson 
Joseph  Kingsby 
George  Kane 
Wm.  Kane 
Jeseph  D.  Kittridge 
John  Kidney 
Daniel  V.  Loud 
Charles  Luther 
Wm.  Lloyd 
John  A.  Lark  IK 
James  Lewis 
James  Laumere 
Lewis  Litchfield 
Mordecai  Lester 
W.  B.  Larkin 
T.  W.  Lamoreu 
John  Lerue 
Andrew  Lightbodj 


40* 


SUBSCRIBERS  NAMES. 


Stephen  B.  LeonardMorris  M'Graw        Colman  Nash 
Benoni  Lurrey         Christiana  Monk      Margaret  NayJar 
David  Mann  Lewis  Newman 

Joshua  B  M  Donald  James  Nutt 
John  M'Meekin        John  Nelegar 
Randall  M'Collum  Francis  Noble 
Susanna  M4Kenna   Mary  Newell 
Curtis  Munger          John  Newson 
Daniel  D'Intosh       Isaac  Nash 
Medan  Martien         Samuel  Norton 
Cornelius  M:KelveyJohn  Norton 
Jonathan  Morel        Stephen  Oaky 
Thomas  C.  M'Grath Benjamin  Ostrander 


Martin  Laker 
Francis  Low 
Jeremiah  Luther 
Thos.  Linacre 
Samuel  Low 
Lina  \V.  Lay 
Jane  Luces 
Wm.  Lawley 
Garry  Lewis 
Burr  Lewis 
Amos  Lindsey 
Wm.  Luok 
A.  T.  E.  Lansing 
Daniel  Lane 
Daniel  Leland 
David  Lynch 
Phebe  Legg 
John  Lee 
Preston  Lincoln 
John  Lumley 
J.  C.  M'Dougal 
Hannah  Mufrie 
Daniel  Mills 
Caleb  Mathews 
Richard  Merrifield 


J.  MTherson 
J.  M'Clenahan 
Abraham  Martin 
Joshua  Marsh 
Daniel  Morrel 
John  M.  M'Harg 
F.  M-Naughtan 
Peter  Mochrie 
David  Mead 
Sarah  Musier 
John  M'Murry 
Wm.  Munson 
Manchester 
nicutt 


Samuel  M'Murray   Jacob  W.  Morris 
Thomas  Moune       Rora  Moulton 
Lemuel  Moss 
Wm.  Myndersen 
Wm.  M'Lasky 
Eleanor  M'Kay 


George  Milton 
Peleg  R.  Miller 


Wm.  Mitchell 
Wm.  M'Jntosh 
Wm.  Maxwell 
Wm.  M'AdoH 
Joseph  Morris 
Thomas  Martin 


Ebenezer  MurdocJiAbel  Marble 


Henry  Moschel 
Joseph  Mills 
S.  H.  Moore 
Robert  Moore 
Sheldon  Malary 
JSlisha  Miner 

Thomas  Mounsey 
Robert  M'Intosh 
James  Mulligan 
James  Martin 
Wrn.  M'Plierson 
Thomas  BJacYJe 

Owen  Owens 
Jacob  Oake 
John  Ogden 
Anthony  Planta 
James  Pease 
Wm.  Phipps 
John  Perkins 
'  Connal  Parker 
John  Parrison 
John  Patrick 
John  B.  Parinton 
John  Porter 
Kin-Philip  Phelps 
J.  Porter 
B.  Pearce 
Solomon  Pangbura 
Wra.  Pomroy 
Wrn.  Philips 
Palmer  &L  Tinker 
Edward  Proby 
John  Pearce 
James  J  Penny 
Win.  Penny 
John  Peers 
Elisha  Putnam 
Lemuel  Price 
Abraham  Pitteiigera 
Jane  Paytoro 
Furdy 


Samuel  Snerwood 
Elen  Sharp 
Peter  Smith 
Andrew  Simmons 
Russel!  SVidard 
Frederick  Seger 
Dciademia  Seger 
Joseph  Sherman 
Robert  Swain 


Gilbert  Purdy  Betsey  Ruhvee 

Wm.  Pusburgh        Asa  Rich 

Archabald  PattasonJohn  Rich 

Sylvanus  Parsons    Richard  Reynolds 

Wm.  Patterson        Win.  Roades 

J.  B.  Quackenboss  Henry  Rectcr 

B.  Quackumbush     Joseph  Robbins 

G.  Quick  Enoch  Rice 

Mary  Quick  Henry  Rivers 

Gerrit  QuackentrassThomas  Ridgaway  Cotton  Smith 

A.  Quackenboss      Samuel  Smylie        C.  Schermerhora 

James  Rogers  Henry  Snyder 

Adam  Russ  Daniel  Stewart 

Caleb  Russell  Zebina  Stui-tevant 

Daniel  S.  RobersonRachel  Stewart 

Robert  Remington  D.  Stunberg 

Chiistophev  RussellJacob  Shumaker 

Jonas  J.  Rudes        Daniel  Shays,  jr. 

Garrit  W.  RyckmanAlanson  Sheldon 

Richard  Roser 

John  Reskhou 

John  Russell 

John  Rolney 

Eliza  Sickels 

Lewis  Stone 

Thomas  Shaw 

Abijah  Smith 

Robert  Sinclair 

Obadiah  Smith 

Henry  Smith 


H.  V.  R.  Sehermet- 

horn 

Elizabeth  Smith 
Jacob  Shaffer 
Duncan  Stewart 
Jonathan  Shepard 
W.  &t  J.  Scoon 
Samuel  Swasey 
Ajina  Sherman 
Peter  Schiier 


Asher  Riley 
James  Robinson 
James  B.  Robbins 
B .  W.  Ratlvbone 
Elizabeth  Root 
J  ohn  Roff 
Margaret  Ratcliff 


John  Sipple 

A  Sheppard 

Adriand  StackhouseNancy  Story 

John  S.  Smalley      Stephen  Shepard 
Joseph  Seymour* 
John  Sawyer 
John  Shell 
John  Spawn 
John  Se'.gent 
Frederick  Sergent 
Eliza  Singleton 


Christopher  Rubey  Nathaniel  StimpsonSaliy  Swasey 

Israel  Reynolds       A.  Shields  Sally  Sanders 

Thomas  Radcliff     David  Scott  Polly  Stansill 

Joseph  T.  Rice        John  A.  Sturges  Daniel  Spcoiief 

Marcus  F.  RandolphEliphalet  Steele  W.  Z.  Tiffany 

Nahum  Rice  Jacob  A.  Stiles  Isnam  J.  Teller 

Selah  Riley  M.  B  Slocum  Joshua  Tinker 

Benjamin  Ross        Jer.  Searl  J.  H  Talmad^e 

Charles  Rice  Hezekiah  Scoyel  Samuel  Tues 

Cornelius  RyckmanJosiah  Sherman  Peter  V.  Tassell 

Jason  Rooker  James  Stephens  Ephraim  Titus 

Robert  Rubey         John  Sanderson  John  Turner 


406 


SUBSCRIBERS    WXME8, 


Luther  Taylor        John  Vernor 
Benjamin  Thayer    Philip  Vanderltp 
James  Turner 
Bela  Tracy 
John  Tompkins 
Poster  Taylor 
R.  Ten  Broeck 
Patty  Topping 


Teman  Wilmott 
Halsey  Woodruff 
Benjamin  Whipple 
F.  D.  Wallis 
S.  B.  Whitney 


Margret  Todd 
Wm.  Traver 


Jacob  Van  Beaen 

G.  Van  Emburgh 

A.  Van  Santvoord 

Edmund  Van  York  Richard  AVebster 

L.  Van  Kleeck         Ruth  Williams 

Jacob  No  Vander-  Peter  G.  WaldroB 

heyden  Thomas  Worth 

L.  Van  Buskirk       Joseph  Wilson 


Thomas  ThompsonAbraham  Van  WieJames  Weir 
Jonathan  Tie mbles John  Vanderburg     Cynthia  Woods 


D.  L.  Tillotson 
John  Tyler    - 
Jeremiah  Tryon 
Wm.  Tucker 
R.  C.  Tobias 
R.  Tilden 
J.  Ten  Eiek 
Loevy  Theyer, 
J.  V.N.Throop 
Henry  Turner 
Elisha  Tripp 
Edward  Trask 
Wm.  Tice 
John  Trotter 
John  B.  Truax 


Sam'l.  Van  DeusenJohn  Warner 
Henry  Van  Wie      Agur  Wells 
Peter  Van  Bergen   Nathaniel  White 
Wm.  Van  Zant        Jacob  P.  Wilsoa 
L.  Van  Valkenburg  Joseph  Weed 


Thomas  White 
Betsey  Ward 
James  Warren 
David  Woodworth 
Harris  Wells 
John  Whitney 
David  Wilson 
Peter  Young 
Thomas  Young 
Abi  H.  Yates 


C.  Vanhoosen 
Samuel  Ward 
Charles  West 
S   B.  Wigton 
Elisha  Wilcox 
Daniel  Ward,  jr. 
H.  Wilmot 
S.  Walking 
John  Watson 
Henry  Y.  Webb 
Andrew  Thompson  Sam'J.  WorthingtonHenry  H.  Yates 
Jonas  Ter  Bush       John  Wijkes  Athens. 

Carman  Thompson  Wm.  Woolcock      James  Akins 
Abraham  Tombs     James  Warren        Amelia  Addamjs 
Samuel  Williams    Charlotte  Allcot 
Wm.  W.  Williams  Edward  Austin 

John  Begardus,  jr. 
A.  W.  Barnard 
Calvin  Balis 
Martha  S.  Barnard 
.Alexander  S.  Coffin 


Circuit  Travels 
George  Tubbs 
Philip  Talbert 
C  B.  Thompson 


Jacob  Ward 
Samuel  C.  Ward 
Gen.  Stephen  Vanlanus  Waring 

Renssellaer          Normal  Ward 
Jacob  Van  Ness       Samuel  Wooster 


John  I.  Van  Zandt  Abraham  Walker  John  B.  Coffin 

John  Vander  VoortEbenezer  Welch  IJriah  Coffin 

Charles  Vail  E.  T.  Ward  Nathan  Clark 

Mary  Van  Zantz     A.  W.  Watkin*  .Hannah  Churcl 


NEW-YORK. 


407 


Charles  White         Gideon  Finks 
Lyman  Wait  Ezra  Garrison 

Ephraini  Wheeler  Daniel  Jacobs 
George  S.  Whippy  H.  Mansfield 

Brooklyn.         Richard  Newman 
David  Anderson      Franklin  Patten 
Josiah  Applegate     John  Reid 
George  P  Gardiner  Alexander  Birbeck  Wm.  Snyder 
Aaron  Gilbert  Martin  Bowen          Minerd  Semnions 

David  Boyd  Mercy  Wihnarth 

Emund  Bunford      Gideon  Wilbur 
Frederic  Dezendurf          Catskill. 
Benj.  Curnberson    Oliver  P.  Ashley 
Samuel  Farrington  Mary  Butler 


Salmon  Coffin 
Samuel  Dobbin 
Sally  D.  Dillon 
John  Frazer 
John  Folger 
John  Fosdick 
Simeon  Franklin 


R.  J   Hailinbeck 
C.  Hollenbeck 
Elisha  I.  Hand 
Wm.  Heroy 
Nathiel  Howland 


Russel  R.  HamiitonJohn  Gidernslee 
John  Holiiday          Mathew  Hall 
Benj.  Hovlland        George  Heriland 
Almira  Hamilton     Henry  N.  King 
Samuel  Hamilton    John  R.  Latham 
Wm.  Johnston         Aert  Middagh 
Justen  B.  Jacobs     James  Moon 
George  Kirby  John  Moon 

Ebenezer  King 

Russell  Leffingwell  Robart  Nostrand 
Wm.  G.  Macy         Isaac  Nichols 
Reuben  Morton,  jr.  John  Piitchen 
Lucy  D'Nouguey     Gilbert  Reid 
Sibel  Olds 
Zacheus  Roach 
John  S.  Smith 


John  Blanchard 
Eliza  Bretton 
Mackay  Croswell 
T   O.  H.  Croswell 
Charles  C.  Church 
James  Cole 
Theoph.  Dimmick 
Isaac  Dubois 


Louisa  Silver 
Reuben  Sanderson 
Gilbert  Titus 
George  Tolly 
Eli  Town 
N.  J.  Van  Loon 
L.    Van    Vaulken- 


James  Van  Nuyse  Zenas  Goodrich 

Charles  G.  Graham 
Joseph  Gilbert 
Lemuel  Hotchkiss 
John  Hazen 

Garrit  Springsteel 

Richard  Stanton 

Jacob  Smith 

Amos  Tindall 

Peter  Voorhees 

Noah  Waterbury 

J.  B.  Van  Winkle 

Henry  Wiggins 

Daniel  Wright 


Brunswick, 


burgh 

Sarah  L.  AVheeler 
Benj.  Willmarth 
John  Williams 
Luther  Wood 


Jesse  Button 
Josiah  Barker 
Henry  Bell 

Zoa  Dorset 
Juleo  Easton 


Luke  Hiersted 
John  Hill 

Nathaniel  Hinman 
Walter  King 
Henry  Ludlow 
Tertulus  Ludinton 
Elbridge  Maltby 
Gordon  W.  Merrick 
Clarrissa  Moore 
Rev.  John  M.  Peck 
Harriot  M.  Stone 
Abner  Shepley 
Adonijah  Sherman 
Peter  Ten  Eyck 
Hesekiah  Thave? 


4GS 


SUBSCRIBERS    NAMES. 


Wm.  Van  Bergen 
Maria  Van  Loon   , 
M.  D.  Van  Loon 
C.  Van  Bergen 
Lanson  Wells 

Cocymans. 
John  Fanning 
1    Clavcrac/c. 
Oliyer  Squire 

Durham. 
Betsey  Post 

Grcen?}ush. 


Benjamin  Johnson  John  Springsteen 


.  Levi  Judd,  jr. 

Aaron  King 

James  Kimball 

Smith  Kentfield 

Thomas  Lambert 
.6Hannah  Mason 

Daniel  Noyes 

Volchart  Ossin 

Nathaniel  D.  Plum  Miron  Ashley 

Collins  Purple          Maria  M.  Ames 

Wm.  W.  Pratt         Henry  Adams 
Martin  Van  AlstyneJohn  W.  Rockwell  Elisha  P.  Ashly 
L.  M  Allen  John  Rich  Timothy  Barnard 

Otis  Alvord  W.  Spafford,  jr. 

Benjamin  Akin        David  Stoddard 
Jonathan  Biiss,  jr.    Moses  Smith 
Benj.  R.  Bostwick  Wm.  P.  Stark 
Ebepezer  Bartlett    Sylvester  Smith 
John  Bishop  A.  Tufts 

Salmon  Bostwick    JEteujamjn  Vawghan  Bebecca  Bunker 
Almon  R.  BostwickRobert  Vaughan      E  Barnard 
Zebina  Curtis  2d      John  Van  Deusen  Henry  Uiell 
Daniel  Clark  J  J  Van  RenssellaerWm.  Bates 

Thomas  Donnelly    N.  J.  Visclier  Justus  Zferns 

J.  W  Van  VeghtonSally  .Brown 

Sally-Ann  Woods    Amy  Uabcock 

Leonard  Wins  low 

Wm.  White 

A.  II.  JThitbeek 

John  T,  JFhitbeek 

H.  H.  ITendL'lI 
Gibbonsvitte. 


Rhoda   Streeter 
Bryant  Tozer 

Uoneoy. 
Nathaniel  Allen 

Hoosack. 
Samuel  Eurrell 

Hudson. 
Miles  H.  Abbot 


Benjamin  Boyce 
Edward  R.  Bolles 
J.  Van  Blarcum 
Charles  H.  Bartlett 
Mathew  Bunker 
John  C.  Bunker 


.  P.  Davis 

Silas  Fields 
Mathew  Fryer 
Mary  Gardner 
Titus  Goodwin 
Israel  P   Hand 
Hosea  Hulet 
Abram  Hoag 
John  S.  Hearmance Samuel  Anthony 
Richard "1*.  /ferrick James  Culver 
Jonas  JJallock          S.  W.  Crane 
Epnetus  Hallock     Thomas  H.  Dyer 
Wilder  If  ay  ward     Win.  Dyer?  jr. 
David  Hewit  James  Ford 

Nathan  P.  Johnson  James  Hitchcock 
Benjamin  Johns       David  Johnson 
Peter  Johnson          Andrew  Lake 


Zfenajah  Bingham 
Jesse  J?urdwin 
Jared  Coffin 
Richard  Clark 
John  Calwell 
Peter  Cole 
Jfrphamah  Coffin  jr, 
Charles  G.  Clark 
Polly  Clark 
Samuel  H.  Gondit 
John  M'Docald 
Edward  Day 
Jacob  Davis 
Horace  Durne 
Horace  Day 


John  Deueli 

Henry  Dickinson 

Charles  Darling 

Peter  Elliott 

M.  Eckerts 

Jabez  Edgerton 

Daniel  Fo  wler 

Gayer  Gardaer 

John  Graham 

James  Gordon 

Jacob  Gardner 

John  Hosmer 

B.  Hancock 

W  E.  Heath 

Nicholas  H atheway Isaac  Power 


Wesley  Moriarty 
Ephraim  Muir 
Hannah  Morrison 
Sarah  Minard 
Sophia  Mandavill 
Joseph  Moseley 
David  Nelson 
Wm.  Nelson 
Rhoda  Norcut 
Henry  Parkman 
John  D.  Parsons 
Thomas  D.  Perry 
Mary  Powel 
Abraham  Perry 


Peter  Tailor 
Henry  Upton 
Ann  Van  Nortwick 
Albert  Van  Hofsen 
Garney   Van  Vai- 

kenburgh 

Asahel  Woodworth 
Philip  White,  jr. 
Isaac  Ward 
John  A.  Whitney 
Robert  Wadsworlh 
Jos.  G.  Wheeler,  6. 
Uarna  Waterman 
Hillsdale. 


Samuel  Heath 
H.  Humphrey 
E  J.  Hazard 
Polly  Hawkins 
»Samuel  Hunt,  jr. 
John  Hilton 
Anna  Hatchings 
Edward  Hulbert 
Jesse  G.  Halt 
Maria  Hopkins 
Eliza  Healy 
Mathew  P.  Joy 
John  W.  Jenkins 
Lena  Johnson 
Wm.  Jessup 
Polly-Ann  Jones 
John  Jaquins 
Margaret  Jenkins 
#a  zitlui  Jenkins 
Eliza  Kemper 


Jonathan  Worthy  \ 
Reuben  H  Pinkham     Lansingbttrgh. 
Jared  Plumb  Noel  At  wood 

Eliza  M.  Peroody    Russell  Aririingtou 
John  Paddock          Timothy  Allen 
Abisha  Pinkham      Elisha  Alvord 
Charles  GPinkhamElijah  Bow 
Lewis  Rich  Ebenezer  JSurditfc 

James  Robinson      Otis  #ates 
Clark  Bates 
Zebina  Bagg 
Charles  Burnap 
David  Bentley 
Francis  Buck,  jr. 
Joseph  Buck 


David  Rogers 
Ann  Reynolds 
John  Ray 
Samuel  Ray 
Jacob  Rabine 
Wm.  Reed 
Elijah  Spencer 
Fredrick  Stan- 
Clark  Smith 
David  Stirling 

Samuel  B.  Sheldon  lillis  T.  Barton 
Benj.  P.  Smith        Eliphalet  Cushmaa 
Mary  Ann  Kemper  John  Slocum          Joseph  Choate 
David  Lester  Abraham  Schry ver  Edward  A.  Cook 

Stephen  Spooner     Robert  W.  Clark 
John  Schoonmaker  Henry  Corrin 
Theophiius  Taylor  Neheuiiah  Chesss* 
Eli  Thorp  brough 

Saul  Taylor  Hezckiah  Cadrrefl 

LI 


Clarifcsa  Ballard 
Rhodolphus  Burt 
Leonard  Blanchard 
Lansing  Beman 


R.  I.  I/vingston 
Eli  Mosier 
Reuben  Moones 
Samuel  S.  Moore 
Wm.  R.  Macy 


SUBSCRIBERS   NAMES. 

Anna  Disturnell       Phebe  Philips  Timotliy  Baldwin 

Wm.  Donaldson      Elijah  Pery  F.  VV.  De  C^udres 

George  Donalds       Daniel  Redding       Henry  Z.  Cox 
Samuel  Elward        Mary  Rutherford     Thomas  Coles 
Levi  Eastman         David  Stimson        Ruseff  Cpnuver 
Hufus  Fisher  Wm.  Spotten          John  Cullum 

Taylor  Fordham      Nancy  M.  Spafford  Nathaniel  Conklin 
Frederick  Forsyth  Normand  Squires     John  M'Cauley 
Joseph  Fox  Abraham  Snider      John  M  Clave 

A.  St.  John  Foster  Luke  Stone  A.  Campbell 

Elizabeth  Giles        Ezra  Tubbs  P.  Coleman 

Robert  Geity  John   G.  Vauder-  Lewis  Civills 

Aaron  BHinman,  jr.     hay  den  Elhanah  Conklin 

Edward  C.  HagartyJohn  Wood,  jr.        P.  F.  Cisco 
Wm.  Hanford         Reuben  Willard      Benjamin  Charlton 
Jacob  Hogoboom    Eliza  Weaver         William  Day 
John  Hilltnan,  jr.     James  Wincheil      Kiudale  Dunn 
Alphonao  M.  HydeCurtis  Willin  George  Dunn 

Isaac  Hasbrook       Samuel  Wilgus        Henry  De  Wit 
Thomas  Hill  Eben'r.  Walbridge  George  J.  Duryee  6 

\  Joseph  D.  HaywardJohn  Winnie  John  Damarest 

Silas  Knap  Jona.  Wick  ware     Benjamin  Damarest 

Jacob  L.  Lansing    Daniel  Young          John  Day 
Abr'm.  L.  Lansing  Lenox.  Mordecai  Evens 

Joshua  Lavvton        Nathaniel  Hale,  jr.   Thomas  Ensign 
J.  C.  Lansing  New-York.         Thomas  R.  Eldrige 

Levinus  Lansing      Enos  Alley  Calvin  Ely 

John  Mills  Sam'L  B.  AndersonDaniel  Edsall 

Moses  Maullin         James  C.  Adams     Barclay  P.  Fanning 
Benjamtn  A.  Mann  Nicholas  C.  BadriaSamuel  Forshee 
David  MjMurray     Joseph  Brewster      William  Forshes 
Lydia  Newell          John  Bowne  James  Floentine 

Daniel  Nash  Jacob  Bausher         F.  D.  Francisco 

Sally  Nelson  Adolph  Brower       John  B   Gasmer 

Ciiarles  G.  Neal       David  Baker  N.  Gathwait 

Charles  Olmsted     Ezekiel  Boardman  Thojpas  Goodman 
Oliver  B.Ogden      Joseph  Brunson,    6H.  H.  Gillet 
Calvin  Preston         Henry  Blauvet         John  B.  Griffiths 
p!\heodorous  Payne  Alexander  Burn      D.  B.  Hempsted 

otiii  Prest  Caleb  Bloon  -         Luther  Harris 

i>l.'i<;thew  Perry         Richard  Bird  Elihu  Harris 

.dflda  Porker       Thomas  Baker        Moses 


NEW-YORK, 


Ramrell  Haight        Rene  Pardessus 

Nathan  Howes         Martin  Po \vlis 

Christopher  Heiser  Jacob  Farsell 

Joseph  Horn,  jr.       Thomas  Parks 

Thomas  Hunt          Thomas  Parmiton 

Robart  Hall  Moses  Porter 

Samuel  Harved       Edmund  Poole 

Epaphras  Hoiemes  J.  A.  QuackembushStephen  L.  Viele 

Jedediah  Hall          Frederick  Roberts       Schagticc  . 

Sylvanus  Hoyt        Francis  Raymond 

W.  M.  Hewlett       John  Roberts 

Solomon  Hill  wick  Tobias  Ryckman 

Samual  Hip  Joseph  Randall 

William  Jackson     Ralph  Romain 

James  E.  Jennings  Nathan  Raymor 

Joseph  L.  Killnian  Nathaniel  RuddockH.  Knickerbocker 


R.  B.  White 
Samuel  Wyvill 

Thomas  Watts 
Henry  Water  bury 

Piilstoii'n, 
Rev.  C.  Lahalt 
Smith  Fill; in 


James  Buyse 
Mary  Chub 
Thomas  FoJIot 
Smith  GerinomI 
Stephen  Gaston 
Win. 


Burrit  Keeler 
W.  M.  Kenny 
Jesse  Ketcham 
W.  G.  Keech 
T.  T.  Loomis,  6. 
Thomas  Lister 
Benjamin  Looker 
Thomas  Binell 
Ezry  Mudge 
William  Munroe 
Asher  Martin 
Enoch  Miller 
Thomas  Macky 
C.  Morehouse 
Alexander  Martin 
James  Milner 
Duvid  Murray 
Michael  Moren 
Peter  Meyes 
John  Mount 
Jacob  Meyers 
Robert  Morton 
Wm.  Murphay 


C.  M.  Rooseyeit 

George  Straib 

Alexander  Scott 

Abraham  Sears 

Josiah  Smith 

J.  F.  Van  Sicler 

John  Smith 

William  Smith 

John  N  Sisco 

John  Smith 

Andrew  Sinclair 

James  Sproull 

William  D   Sim 

Samuel  Smith 

Thomas  Twire 

Gershom  Thorp 

Samuel  Teeple 

John  M.  Thorn 

J.  J.  Vanderpool 

William"  Willys 

Daniel  Wools ey 

Joseph  C.  Wright  Caleb  P.  Botsford 

John  Westervelt      Calvin  Bowman 
Obadiah  Newcomb  John  Wright  John  B.  Baldwin 

Wit  Ham  Osborn       James  White  Hugh  Boyd 

B.  Plair  John  Waring  Abraham  Browers 


Abuer  Lewis 
Atalanta  Scott 
Henry  I   Storms 
Dennis  Smith 
Wm  Winds 
Gilbert  Young 

Sharon. 
Zachariah  Keys 

Troy. 

Squire  Allen 
Asa  Anthony 
Freeman  Adams 
Elijah  I  Adams 
George  Allen 
Thomas  Brown 
Wm.  C.  Brooks.  i»- 
Elain  Buel 
Eliza  Belknap 
Gid.  Buckingham 
Win.  S.  Beebe 
S.  P.  Bet-bs 


SUBSCRIBERS    NAMES. 


Philip  Brown 
Alpha  C.  Baras 
Jacob  Bradt 
Solomon  Bilson 
Samuel  Bin^ham 
Wm.  M'CIure 
Henry  I.  Cartiss 
Waterman  Carr 
John  Cony 
Arch'd.  Campbell 
Mary  Covel 
WilJard  Clark 
151am  Converse 
Joseph  Coxok 
Win.  M.  Cullar 
Harriot  Chiehester 
Gerrit  Clute 
Asa  Carl  Ion 
Chester  Clarke 
iftephamah  Clark,  jr. 
Patrick  Cole 
Philip  Dater 
Esek  T.  Daniels 
Lovett  Downing 
Wm.  C.  Devie 
Sidney  Dale 
Abner  Davis 
David  Darrah 
33  arid  Do  an 
I,ewi*  G.  Dole 
Abraham  Eager' 
Seth  Eastman 
Perez  Ensign 
Abner  Poster 
Naihl.  Farnham 
Ira  Ford 
John  V.  Fasset. 
Moses  Fero 
David  Fancher 
Elizabeth  Fronk 
John  P  Funda 
Rachel  Fero 


Henry  Fero 
Robert  GHlespie 
Henry  Grace 
John  Graves 
Sarnl.  L.  Gallup 
N.  Gilbert,  6 

Ingraham  G  jldea 
Israel  Green 
Rufus  Grand/ 
John  Grace 
Joseph  Gi!lasp?e 
Josiah  Greenman 
S.  P.  Goodrich 
Harriot  B.  Green 
Isaiah  Gavit 
Simon  Goodwin 
JohnH.  Gade 
B  Gale 

Andrew  Hemphill 
.\Vm.  D.  Haiglit 
Maiy  Ilallrm 
James  M.  Havens 
Josiah  Ilerrick 
James  Holland 
Hannah  Hudson 
Mariah  Haff 
Asaph  Humphrey 
Jolin  Hodgkin 
Rurrna  Hoidcn 
Stephen  Hyatt 
Hoidcn  Hill 
James  Hyatt 
Jane  HarBiff 
John  Johnston 
Francis  Jarnes 
John  Kieen,  jr. 
Jacailian  Keeney 
Peter  Kurezya 
Daniel  Keeler 
John  Keeling 
Rogf-r  King 
Mjses  Knanp 


Lewis  Keeier 
John  Leonard 
Edwin  M.  Larcher 
Amos  Larcom 
Mary  Linn 
Phelix  Lester 
Aaron  landley 
George  Lent 
Aaron  Learned 
Nathan  Morgan 
Uriah  Miller 
Joseph  Myers 
Anna  Morley 
John  C.Myers 
John  Marstin 
Daniel  Mason 
Samuel  Martin 
Eliakim  Meeker 
Abraham  Miller 
Mary  Mason 
John  Morris 
John  Morey 
David  M'Kelsie 
John  Nafew 
Lucy  Nobles 
"Wm  Neafus 
Ebenezer  Prescott 
Freeman  Parks 
Sylvester  Packard 
Aaron  Payne 
Jessee  Peters 
Jason  H.  Price 
Henry  Pickle 
Wm.  L.  Petts 
Wm.  Ross 
Samuel  Raymond 
Archille  I  Rousseou. 
Amanda  Robbing 
H'Niel  Se\mour 
Peter  Spra^ue 
S.  S.  Seleck 
Chade  SouthwicJc 
CatheriaoStackpool 


RHODE-IaLAKD. 


413 


Abigail  B.  Smith     Ann  Wiswal! 
Jane  Smith  Joseph  Wilson 

Elisha  B.  Speary     Win.  Yoim^ 
Frederick  Schryver       Washington. 
John  Stilson  John  Abrahams 

Benjamin  Smith      H.  V.  Cuyler 
Samuel  Scobey        Minor  Crumby 
Samuel  Swartwout  Zina  P.  Egleston 
Wm.  Stockwell        J.  Hitchcock 
E.  M   South  wick     James  Raft  ray 
Abraham  Staples 
Frederick  Tators 
John  Tyler 
M.  Ten  Eyck 
Henry  Towns  end 
Luke  H.  Thrall 
John  Tarbell 


Nicholas 

}Vaierford. 
Robert  Anderson 
Peter  Boss 
Francis  Drake 
S.  Demarest 
Joel  Downer 
Roger  C.  Evans 
Reuben  Field 


Horace  Turner 

John  Urann 

13.  S.  Vantferhey-  Ana  Foster 

den  Jonah  Goodrich 

Adam  Valuntine     Allen  Redden 
Benj  Van  Atter       John  Hall 
Mathias  VanheydenJohn  Humphrey 


J.Van  Schoonhoven 
J.  Terwillager 
B.  Vanalstine 
H.  Yanderwerken 
Charles  Webster 
Abraham  Young 

Water  deit. 
Israel  Anthony 
Nicholas  Bassett 
Henry  Camel 
R.  Cunningham 
John  G.  Clute 
Fones  Cole 
Jacob  W.  Frets 
John  Gorslin 
Wm   Heermans 
Albert  Heeinstrcet 
Reuben  King 
John  A.  Landing 
W.  C.  Pfimimaa 
Win.  Roff 
S.  B.  Stearnes 
J.  Vandamark 
Marl  in  Van  Oliatla 


J,  Van  Benthuseu  Charles  L.  Harper  Abraham  W.  Van 


Ebenezer  Wilson  jrEbenezcr  Keeler 

Elijah  Watson          Win  I.  Lansing 

Jona.  Woodward  jr.F.  Livingston 

Ebenezer  Webb      Aaron  Meeker 

Thomas  White 

Alsop  Wade 

Justus  W  right,    18 

David  Wendell 

Jane- Maria  WendellC.  Moran 

Robert  Waldby       John  Petlit 


Robert  Moe 
Henry  Macornb 
John  Mitchell 


Dcnbursc 
S.  V.  S.  Van  Don 

Burgh 
James  Wade  jr. 


•DE-ISLAND. 

Eristol 

Marria  Me  Donald  Palmer  Brown,    6 
James  P.  Surges 
Peleg  Bos  worth 


Jonathan  Weeks     Benjamin  Preston  James  Cross  well 
Andrew  WaterburyWin.  Ransom          Oliver  Cornell 
Andrew  Wilson      John  Robson  Francis  Dimonti 

Jane  Winne  Ephralm  RendaH     Ht-nry  Fales 

Hannah  Warren       Smith  St  Rnthbone  Lefavor  Howlafid 
Daniel  S.  Whipple  G.  V.  SchoonhovenWilliam  Hart 
Hugh  D.  Wrekh      Joseph  B.  Smiih     Sy!vesterLu:fce* 
Samuel  Whitmash  1.*  I  2 


414 


SUBSCGIfiEES    NAMfciS. 


Thomas  Munro,  4th  Joseph  Cary  Thomas  Kiiion 

Josiah  Munro  Wanton  Chase         John  J.  Kilton 

Jienja.  Manchester  Samuel  Grans  ton,  jr.  William  Kerds 

Nathaniel  Lawrence 
Amos  Lindall 
Benjamin  Morse 
Josiah  G.  Matteson 
James  Matteson 
Thomas  Mills 
Alex.  M'Murra 
William  M'Cann 
Rufus  Northup 
Olney  Potter 
James  Pollard 


o         Miller       GwenM'Cabe 
Benjamin  Norris      George  Collins 
.  John  Peckham        Asel  Collins 
Benj.  W.  Rob  bins*  Isaac  Congdon 
Edward  Spalding     William  Cooke 
William  Simmons    Jesse  Cooke 
George  W.  Swan     Caleb  Cooke 
Samuel  Tylor          Hezekiah  Davis 
Allen  Wardvveil,  jr.Ephraim  El?bree 
Ambrose  Waldroii  Henry  Essex 

Coventry.          Luke  Flood 
Chauncy  Andrews  Peregrine  P.  FosterBenedict  Peckham 
Noel  Allen  Samuel.  1.  Field       J.  M.  Parkerson 

J.  Anthony       2      Jeremiah  Greene     Jonathan  Phorton 
Merit  Arnold  Simon  M.  Griegier  Jn».  N.  Pearce 

James  V.  Arnold    Joseph  Griffin          Thomas  Phillips 
Daniel  S.  Anthony  Daniel  Gifford         S.  W.  Parkerson 
Jabcz  Anthony        Campbell  Gibson    Eliza  A   Parkerson 
Charles  Andrew       James  Gorton          Phineas  Pearse 
Benjamin  Andrew  Daniel  Gooham       Phillip  Potter 
Joseph  Arnold         John  Garks  John  Rumrell 

Irus  Aibro  Joseph  Rowland,  jr.  Moses  Roberts 

Daniel  Babcock,  jr  Benjamin  Hanens    Stephen  Smith,  3d 


Samuel  Budlong 
Charles  Bowen 
James  G  Brown 
Araos  Brings 
John  Baldwin 
William  Benty 

James  Burlingame  Nathan  Hamuion 
Adin  Bowen  Joseph  Hiues     6 

Henry  H   Brown     Cyrus  C.  Hines 
Oils  Bullock  John  Hawkins 

T  Bemngton,  3d.     Philip  Hopkins 
Bowen  Bullock   2  John  Henry 
Russell  Brings          Olney  Johnson 
Elisha  Baker  Hollis  R.  Jenkes 

James  Congdon      Perry  G.  James 
Russell  Chase         John  Jones 


J  >hn  Hill  Randall  Sherman 

George  Hunt,  jr.      Alex.  B.  Sherman 
Isaac  Hyde  Daniel  Snell 

Sylvanus  Hopkins  William  Sweet 
Thomas  HieHihy     Sylvester  Stone 
Joseph  (3   Hopkins  Joseph  Sweet 
Libbf  us  Taylor 
Robert  Taft 
Ezra  Tiffany 
Thorn.  Thompson 
James  Whitehorn  . 
Thomas  Wilbour 
Beriah  Wall 
Thomas  Whipple 
M.  S  Whitman 
Benjamin  Warner 


RHODE-ISLAND.  415 

Paul  N.  Weaver      A.  Seamons  Thomas  Mayhew 

Isaac  Whitehead      George  Seamons     John  Marsh 

Cranston.          James  Thorp  Moses  Norman 

Jonathan  Aborn     *  George  Waterman  Josehn  H  Patten 
Joseph  Aborn          John  Westcott        Tim.  R.  Peckham 
John  Bracly  Newport.          Benj.  H.  Pitman 

Wm  K.  Chapman  John  B.  Atkinson    Daniel  Peckham 
Amos  Horton          Andrew  V  Allen    Isaac  C   Peckham 
James  Harris,  jr.      John  Brown  Daniel  Pease 

Benom  Lockwood  Thomas  Brown       Benjamin  Pearce 
Israel  Smith  Abraham  Barker     Joseph  G   Stevens 

Reuben  Smith,  jr.    Stephen  Burdick     Abraham  Sherman 
Nicholas  Smith        Stephen  Barker        Edward  Stanhope 
Starkely  Smith        David  Bowen  Isaac  Stall 

Elisha  P   Smith  6  John  Banister  George  C.  Shaw 

John  Williams  3d   George  C.  Brown    George  W  Stevens 
Benojh  Williams,  jr. Freeborn  CoggshallSilas  Southwick 

Eas$*Greenmch     Green  Carr  Thomas  Spooner 

Wiiliam  Brown       Samuel  Carr,  jr.       Joseph  Southwick 
Benjamin  Bardine  Caleb  Coney  John  Tillinghast 

John  Casey  D.  W.  Coggeshall  Henry  ^^w,  jr. 

Caleb  B   Capron     Brainan  &,  Dennis  Reubel  ,»/aber 
Stephen  Greene,  jr.  William  M.  Dyre    John  Tompkias 
William  Marsh         William  Douglass    Edward  Vose 
George  Peirce          Edward  Fowler       David  Williams 
Thomas  Peirce        C.  Fowler  John  Williams 

H.  T.  Salisbury      Henry  Fowler          Beriah  Waite,jr. 
Gideon  C.  Spink      W.  C.  Green  John  E.  WTilliams 

Stephen  Sweet        Elisha  Gibbs,  jr.      Johjf^Aornans/jf. 
Ebenezer  WilliamsGeorge  Hall,  jr.  Jrf&lulence. 

Foster.  John  S.  Hiscox        Lowell  Adams 

Benjamin  Parker     Benjamin  Hadwen  Amos  M.  Atwell 

Johnston.          Nathan  Hammed     Wm.  A.  Anthony 
Daniel  AngHl          Benjamin  Hall,  jr.    Dennis  Aldrich 
Aaron  Aldrich,  jr.    Edward  W.  LawtonDavid  At  wood 
Benjamin  BrownellRobert  D  Lawton  J   G.  Aldington  . 
Amos  C.  Barton      Robert  Lawton,  jr.  Cyrus  Burlingame 
Win.  Chafu  John  B.  Lyon          John  Boorn 

John  F.  Gibbs          Archibald  Murnro    William  Rrower 
Charles  MathewsonHenry  Moore  James  E.  Butts 

Thomas  Mantoa      Benjamin  Marble    Joseph  Bradford 
Henry  Stone  Benjamin  Marble.jr.Francis  Baily 


416 


SUBSCRIBERS    NAMES. 


R  L.  Burroughs 
James  Burroughs 
Oliver  C.  Barney 
Wm  Bridgman 

aniel  Branch 
Arum  a  Bliss 
Maaa  Bassett 
B  Bennett 
Joseph  Bodge 


Benjamin  Hibbard  Lemuel  Smith 
Joseph  Hodges  Thomas  Shaw 
Joseph  Herring  Samuel  Shove 
John  G  Hopkins  Wnr».  Sheldon 
J.  C  Hardemmrgh  Wm.  Sutton 
Btiij.  Ilatl.a'vay  Joseph  G. 
John  i).  Hendley 


Pardon  P.  Jillson 
Samuel  Kenedy 

Nicholas  Brown,  SdPower  Knowles 
Ariemas  Brown 
John  Babcock 
Charles  Babcock 
John  Babsoa     6 
William  Cowring 
Josiah  Ca,dy 
Griffin  Child 
Robert  G.  Cory 
Chauncy  CooUy 
James  Calder 
Wm.  Carpenter 
Jonathan  ^  mp  man  James  Mason 
Samuel  Chdse         Isaac  Manchester 
Nathan  Daggett       Lewis  Najac 
David  C   Durgin     Wm  N    Olney 
Joseph  Davenport  Nath.  Procter 
John  Ellis  Israel  Peck 

Benjamin  C  ^ddyRowse  Potter 
Lemuel  Fi    >>*         William  Pabodie 
Daniel  Fier^  William  Person 

Asa  Ferguson          Barnes  M.  Pik£ 
Israel  Fenner  OJiver  Price 

Benjamin  GladdjngMaHin  Robicsori  { 
Zeph.  Graves,  2-d.    S.  Remington,  jr. 
Thomas  E  GrinneltEben.  Richardson 
Samuel  G.  Godfrey  James  Smilh 
Samuel  Gill  J(  s  ph  Smith,  2d. 

Geo.  W.  Glllmore  Amos  Silvester 
John  Gladding         Daniel  Salsbury 
Jotharn  Ham 
Elisha  Hicks 
Bernoc  Helme 


Benajah  Sweet 
Charles  Seaman 
Ephraim  Simmons 
Wm.  Tingley 
Adolpbus  Taft 
Sheschiah  Talbot 
Smith  Taft 
Gorton  Talhnan 
Samuel  Tiiurber 


Simeon  Kingsley 

Nathaniel  Kentjail 

Eddy  Luther 

Charles  Luke 

J.  Lyndenberger 

Edward  Lawrence  Gardner  Yaughan 

Pardon  Mason,  jr.    Thomas  Voax 

J.  P.  Manchester 

Henr.v  Miller 

S(ep!;eo  Martin 

James  Miller 


Edward  R.  Weston 
Jeremiah  Whipple 
N   M  Williams 
Moses  Whirtum 
Joseph  E.  Whiting 
Caleb  Williams,  jr. 
Hercules  Whitney 
Joseph  C.  Weder 
Junia  Young 
Saiouel  Yates 
North  Providence. 
Fairfax  Abeb 
George  Arnold 
B.ufus  Alexander 
John  Allen 
Daniel  II .  Arnold 
San.'iiel.  Anthony 
Neheir»iah  Barro\vs 
Eliab  Blake 
Mathew  Blanchord 
Silvanus  Baker 
Ho  mas  ] 


JoJin  W.  Sargeant  Edmund  R  Croa.de 
Auiijros^  Si;ii rnons A  Imison  Carter  ^ 
Nati»anid  htone      Rlenaies  Carter 


RHODE-ISLAND. 


Thomas  Carpenter  Geideon  Mavoy       Dana  Gale 
Noah  Draper  John  Parker  Thomas  Green 

Nathl.  G.  B  Dexter  A.  Relpt  J  M.  Greenwood 


Rufus  Dunhan 
Thos.  W.  Dexter 
William  Daggett 
Caleb  Down 
Joel  Daggett  jr. 
Jacob  P.  Fish 
William  Fowler 
Enoch  Fowler 
Sylvester  Grant 
Lemuel  H.  Jenks 
James  V.  Jenks 
B.  T.  Kinnicutt 
John  T.  Low  den 
Eliot  Lamb 
William  Larchar 
Ephraim  Niles 
John  Pearce 
Lewis  Peck 
Foster  Peck 
Severn  Summers 
Jesse  Salsibury 
Henry  Taft 
Stephen  Taber 
Ebeuezer  Tyler 
Joseph  Vial 
Knight  Whipple 


Anthony  SweetlandEHsha  Hopkins 
William  Tompkins  James  Huiton 
Abner  S.  TompkinsLyndon  Jenks 
Jenks  Wilkinson     Arnold  Jenks 
William  Young        William  Langdon* 

Scekonk.          H.  L.  Mansfield 
Willard  Armington  William  Ray 
Lewis  Arnold  Daniel  Ray 

Thomas  Budlong    G.  B  Robenson 
Luther  Carpenter 
-Cyrin  French 
Ira  Gay 

Henry  Hopkins 
Sampson  Howe 
William  Hovey 
John  Haley 
Jesse  May 
William  Martin 
George  Nicolas 
Roswell  Potter 
Daniel  Sabin 
B.  S.  Waleotte 
Samuel  Walker 
John  M.  Walcotte  Ezra  Bevin 
Nathan  Yeamans    Joseph  Burton 

Smilhjield.         Aaron  Bo  win 

Samuel  G.  WheelerRenjamin  Almy      Jabez-  Burlingame 
George  A.  Walter  Parris  Aldrich        '  William  Baker 
John  Whipple          Christopher  Almy  Thomas  Bordea 
William  WightmanJoseph  Bennett       N.  P.  P     *^ 

Scihtaie.          Darius  Ballon          Phil>f       illiocg 
James  Aldrich,  2d.  William  Beasly      Clark  iirown 

J  >hn  Bezely  jr.       Lewis  E  Bevin 
Daniel  Card  Ahab  Opron  $ 

Ona  Cerpenter         Ira  Colvin 
J.  Carpenter  Agustus  Carrell 

James  Carroll         -J.  C apron 
John  D   Daggett     George  Curiea 
Nathaniel  Dav        JPardoa  P,  Case 


Isaac  Taber 
Cyrus  Tracy 
J/W.  Tarpin 
G.  Wilkinson 
JosephWViherhead 

Wanwck. 
Whitman  Arnold 
Henry  Austin 
John  Allen 
W,  A.  Arnold 
Russell  Arnold 
G.  B.  Afiny 
H  D.  Aylworth 
J.  G.  Armstrong 


Oliver  Arnold 
W.  Burlingame 
Seth.A.  Curtis 
Moses  Collins 
Jeremiah  Fenner 
Giles  S   Green 
R.  Hazzard 


418 


SUBSCRIBERS   NAMES. 


Joab  Cobnin 
Royal  Callum 
George  S.  Case 
John  M.  G.  Cory 
Abijah  Collins 
Timothy  Crosby 
David  Duglass 
Boon  &,  Duglass 
Stephen  Dexter 
Thomas  Ehlrid 
Samuel  Eldred 
Thomas  Eddy 
Win.  Fletcher 
Samuel  Els  worth 
W.   M.  Farland 
Thomas  F  u?ier 
Jeremiah  Franklin 
George  Finey 
Thomas  Green 
James  W,  Gorton 
John  Green 
Edmund  C.  Gould 
Benjamin  Green 
Olney  Golf 
Waterman  Green 
Samuel  A.  Gerald 
Benjamin  Green 
Chiistopher  Hall 
John  Holden 
Elisha  Harris 
John  L  Thugis 
James.  U.  Hasard 
Slocwm  Hall 
Joseph  Ho^^r-l 
Russell  Hat^rj 
T.  G,  Humphrey 
R.  R.  Hopkins 
Celia  Kilton 
Jeremiah  La  .3d 
Robert  Sevailey 
Cyril  L.  Morse 
Joseph  Matteson 


Betsey  Manchester  James  Yerrington 


Samuel  G.  Niles 
Abigil  Nason 
Daniel  Nason 
George  Parker 
Henry  Porter 
R  M.  Richmond,  2. 


Wickford. 
Henry  Eldrid,  jr. 
Nathan  Gardner 
Jonathan  Reynolds 
Tanner  &  AraoW 
Reynolds 


Joseph  Reynolds     . 
William  Stanton,  jr. 

Warren. 

John  Brown,  3d. 
Benjamin  Cole 
David  Cole 
Henry  W.  Child 
William  B.  Child 
John  Folsom 
Homas  Ingriaham 
Allen  Luther 


Job  Smith 
Caleb  Snell 

KEW-JERSEY. 


Edward  Randal 

Nancy  Russell 

Windsor  Russell 

J.  W.  Rice 

Peleg  Remington 

Thomas  Rice 

Nicholas  Rogers 

Allen  Stafford 

Isaac  Sherman 

George  W   Shaw 

James  M  Shaw 

Alexander  T.  ShawGeorge  Marble 

Easton  Sherman     Parmer  Munroe 

Thomas  Standly 

Elezer  Slocum 

Samuel  C.  Sweet 

Loowell  Spalding 

John  Siukins 

Wiliiarh  Tucker 

Darnel  Taiiner 

Archibald  Tyler 

John  Tallman 

Stephen  Vaughan 

James  Westcot 

Wanton  Weedon 

R.  Waterman 

William  Wood 

Phyletus  Wheelock Aaron  B acorn 

Henry  Whitman     Henry  Bishop 

Reuben  Whitman 

Samuel  Wescott 

Adrian  Webb 

S.  W.  Hightman 

Moory  William 


Stepen  Burrows 
Elihu  Britton 
Daniel  Ross,  jr. 
Jersey-  Ciit/. 
David  Hinman 
Abraham  Vander- 
beek 
Newark. 


Samuel  Brovrn 
Hugh  Com  mack 
Joshua  L.  Church 
Bethuel  Dodd 
James  Dunlap 


•Susannah  WestgateWm.  Dunn 


VERMONT — VIRGINIA — N.  HAMPSHIRE- — CONNECTICUT.      419 


John  Force  Jacob  Peshine 

Leonard  A.  Fox,  2  Charles  Roff 


Wm.  Faherty 
John  Gardner 
Darius  Henry 
Jonathan  Keene 
John  A.  King 


Joel  Ruland 
Richard  Samford 
Stephen  Sisco 
Henry  Shoemaker 
Samuel  Sisco 


Thomas  O.  Kelsey  Aaron  Shipman 
Joseph  Y.  Miller     Jotham  Taylor 
Henry  Massaker      James  Tooles 
John  Mowerison,  jr.E.  D   Thompson 
Abraham  Mander-  Stephen  Taylor 

ville  Nicholas  Voaden 

Charles  Mullen        Abner  Ward 
Robart  Nichols        Elias  Woodruff 
Benjamin  Perry 


VERMONT. 

Rutland. 
Soloman  Dois 
Richard  Muiom 

VIRGINIA. 

Pittsburgh. 
Thomas  Robinson 

NEW-HAMPSHIRE. 

Plain/kid. 
Ainasa  Spooner 


THE    FOLLOWING   NAMES    WERE    NOT    RECEIVED    IN   TIME 
TO    BE    INSERTED    IN    THEIR   PROPER   PLACES. 


CONNECTICUT.     George  May  Grariby. 

Joel  Loomis  Walter  Thrall 
East-Hartford.      Edward  Warren 

Joseph  P.  Jones,  5.        Colchester,  NEW- YORK. 
James  Pitkin             Orin  Brainard 

Martin  Stanley                 Chatham.  New-York. 

George  Pitkin          John  Williams  Abel  Wheeler 


NEW- YORK. 


421 


Albany.  Chester  Foot 
Benj.  P.  Johnson  Orange  Foot 
Win  Sharp  Gurdon  Fitch 

Jas.  W.  Tichenor.    John  Green 

Coeymans.        John  B  Gregory 
James  J.  Lisk.         Hannah  Crriffin 
Clinton  (Paris.)  Calista  Graham 
Aze!  Backus,  D.  D.Sewall  Hopkins 
President  of  Ha-George  Hutton 
milton  College.    Ephraim  Hart 


Charles  Anderson 
Anson  Austin 
Jas,  C.BIoodgood 
Samuel  W.  Brace 
Geo.  Bristol! 
Norman  Baldwin 
Philander  Bennett 
Olive  Berdslee 
Oliver  Barr 
James  Boyden 
Joseph  Besse 
John  Bar 
Daniel  Barker 
Isaac  Benedict 
Joel  Bristoll 
Abijah  Bruce 
Josiah  Bradner 
Harvey  Baldwin 
S.  W.  Baldwin 
John  Bird 
Daniel  Curtiss 
Isaac  Culbert 
Wyllis  Curtis 


Jared  Mitchell 
Joseph  McEhvain 
Isaac  M.  Molincaux 
Sylvester  Mirage? 
Silas  N.  Merrit 
Mary  Marvin 
Richard  Marshall 
Austin  Mygatt 
Jofciah  Noyes 
Hezekiah  Nichols 
Rev.  A.  S.  Norton 
Thos.  Norton 
Samuel  Neaf 
Isaac  Olborn 


Alvah  Healy 

Sherman  Hickcox 

B.  Holden 

Eleazar  House 

Sylvester  P  HerrickGeorge  A.  Pearson 

Job  Herrick  Daniel  Pearl 

Eurctus  P.  HastingsJulius  Pond 

Charles  Hastings      Frederick  Reese 

Thomas  Hart 

Win.  Hotchkiss 

Orris  Hart 

Sherman  Hosmer 

Amon  Ives 

Barna  Joslen 

Josiah  Jones 

Seth  Ives 

Elias  Johnson 


Stephen  W.  CurilssE.  S.  Lee 
David  Comstock     Herman  Leonard 
Chester  Cheny 
Abie!  Carpenter 
Jesse  Congdon 
Jesse  Dorman,  jr. 


Abiram  Ransford 
Samuel  Royce 
Anna  Strong 
James  S  timers 
George  Stimers 
Daniel  Smith 
Isaac  Smith 
Edward  Sutliff 
Joseph  Stebbius 
Curtis  Johnson         John  Shapeley 
Charles  P.  KirklandEIizabeth  Sherman 
Elisha  Kelsey,  jr.     Samuel  Smith 
George  Klinck         Wm.  Stebbins,  jr. 
Aaron  Kellogg         Samuel  Tyler 
Henry  Kellogg         Eiisha  Trowbridge 
Elj^ihF  Tracy 
Saiiford  Tracy 
Charles  Thompson 
S.  A.  Van  Vechteti 


Charles  E.  Ford 
Dan  Foot 


Wm.  Lambert 
Jeduthan  Ladd 
John  Lay 
James  Lezanby 
Alpha  Miller 
John  Minor 


Canvass  White 
Marcus  Willys 
Luman  Woodruff 
David  Wood 


Mm 


422 


SUBSCRIBERS   NAMES. 


John  Winter  Orpha  M.  Gould      Jacob  P.  Weber 

Jpsiah  A.  Whitney  David  Holt  Henry  S.  Whiting 

Aaron  Hackley,  jr.  Wm.  Webster 
Wm.  Jacks  Daniel  Wallaver 

Benjamin  Kelsey    Asa  B.  Ward. 
Ira  Kingsbury  Johnstown. 

James  Kennedy      Pardon  Allen 
Thomas  LivingstonElizabeth  Allen 
C.  D.  Lounsbury     Arch'd.  Anderson 
Wm.  Lappon          John  A.  Wemple 
Daniel  Morse  David  D.  Bedford 

Peter  M.  Myers       Asa  Child 
Levi  C.  Morehouse  Henry  Coriklin 
Patrick  Mahon         Pelly  Crosby 
Alanson  Merry        A.  Danforth 
Michael  M.  Myers   David  Foraian 


Hannah  Warner. 

Guilderldin. 
Maria  Radcliff. 
Herkiiner. 
John  Alexander 
Wm  Anthony 
Peter  F.  Biilinger 
Archibald  Blair 
F.  Bellinger 
Aleiien  Battle 
Jno.  A.  Bury 
John  Buchannan 
£ohn  Brotheroe 
H.  G.  Barlow 
Frederic  Clute 
Dan  Chapman 


Asa  Munger 


Lucy  Miles 

Silas  W.  Champlin  John  Nicholson 
John  B.  Crane         Elijah  G.  Orton 
James  I.  Campbell  Abraham  Parmale  Jeremiah  Hilton 
Samuel  I.  Curtiss     Daniel  C.  Pratt       John  Hammond 


Daniel  Holden 
Jonas  Holden 
Thomas  Harvey 
Wm.  Holland 


Jno.  Me  Comes 
Ira  Crane 
Jonathan  Dye 
H.  W.  Doolittle 
Thomas  Dolin 
Thos.  O.  Enos 
Serene  Fosgate 
Jabez  Fox 
Mather  Fish 
John  Ford 
Eli  Frink 
Reuben  Foster 
Jacob  P.  Fobs 
Benjamin  Fitch 
George  H.  Feeter 
Abel  Gifford 
JohnG.Gilb 
Wm.  Girvan 
Richard  L  Griffin 


Mary  Pinney 
John  Phillips 
George  Pomeroy 
Josiah  Pierson 
Betsey  Perry 
George  Plato 
Phineas  Pearle 
Wai.  Richardson 
WKL!  Seeber 
Mosee  Smith 
Isaac  Stanley 
Wm.  L.  Stone 
James  Shaw 
H,  W.  Stevens 
Samuel  Smith 
Thomas  Smith 
Abijah  Tumbling 
Adam  Uline 
Peter  Van  Curen 


James  Lobdeli 
John  H.  Lansing 
Duncan  McVean 
John  Mason,  jr. 
Hector  McLean 
John  McKay 
Eliot  Mills 
John  G.  Murray 
Daniel  McVean 
Sarah  Mclntyre 
S  McCornwell 
Abm.  Morrell 
Mary  Marsh 
E.  B.  Morehouse 
Joseph  McKeec 
Joseph  Packard,  6 
Peter  F  Putman 
Aaron  A.  Putman 
Deida.  L.  Rockwell 


NEW-YORK. 


423 


John  Reas 

James  Stewart 
Win.  Sexton 
Jeremiah  S lattery 
Matthias  Stafford 
Peter  Stewart 
Francis  Still,  jr. 
Jacob  Sharp 
Sara  Tulle 
John  Traver 


Win.  S.  Clark 
N.  Caulking 
Wm.  Curtis 
John  Chadwick 
Henry  Church 
Wm  Chapman 
Cyrus  Davis 
E.  S  Davis 
Francis  Dean 
Clarissa  Davis 


Barent  H  VroomanJohn  Dabron 
Peter  A.  Vasburgh  Polly  Dunlap 


Jane  Van  Home 
Joseph  Willmarth 
Joshua  Waren 
Asahel  Whitney 
Hugh  Wright 
James  Wilson 
Jacob  Yost. 

New-Lebanon. 
W.  W.  Norton. 
New  York. 
Samuel  H.  Burk 
Wm.  Egbert 

New-Hartford. 
Seth  Birge 


E.  Dickinson 
Sophia  Edgerton 
Charles  Edgerton 
John  Eames 
Daniel  Eells 
Samuel  Fry 
Hezekiah  Ford 
Daniel  Foster 
Joseph  Foster 
George  Frazer 
Lewis  Green 
Susan  Gregg 
Julius  Goodrich 
Leonard  Goodrich 


Kezekiah  BeardsleePeleg  Gilford 
Elizabeth  Birchard  Samuel  Hecox 


Nancy  Brooks 
Ashbel  Beach 
Melancton  Barnet 
Eri  Brooks 
John  Baldwin 
James  M  Barnet 
Samuel  Barker 
Elvira  Brooks 
John  Bradner 
Urania  Byington 
Rachel  Butler 
Elisha  Bowec 
Ira  Cook 


Martha  Hubbard 
Marrin  Huntington 
Horace  Haznlin 
Asahel  Higby 
Augustus  Hurlburt 
Jesse  R.  Hovey 
F   Huntington 
Samuel  Haven 
Anna  Hart 
Ansel  Hart 
Heman  Hopkins 
Matthias  Hurlburt 
Elias  Hart 


Isaac  Ingham 
Roderick  Kellogg 
Warren  Kellogg 
Gustavus  Kilburn 
JJiisha  Latham 
Charles  Latham 
Lovina  Latham 
Josiah  Lee 
John  II.  Lathrop 
John  Lesain,  jr. 
Charles  Loud 
Samuel  Lockwood 
Henry  Lockwood 
Charlotte  Mills 
John  Mulford 
Win.  Morris 
Benjamin  Merrell 
John  T.  Osbora 
Jesse  Olmsted 
Elias  C.  Page 
Alphia  Pixley 
H.  M.  D.  Packard 
George  Peacock 
Thomas  Price 
Alphcus  Prince 
Mary  Pettengili 
Silas  Raws  on 
Josiah  Roberson 
D.  W.  Randal 
J.  £cN.  Richardson 
Hannah  Reed 
George  Standarfc 
Oliver  Sanford 
Joseph  Shepard 
Charlotte  Sherman 
Lewis  Sherril 
Asa  Shepard 
Alfred  Smith 
Stephen  Skinner 
Caleb  Smith 
Asa  Simons 


424 


SUBSCRIBERS   NAMES. 


Daniel  L. 'Short 
Gilbert  Stehbins 
Harvey  Spaifo/d 
Abnei1  Seymour 
Hiram  Seymour 


Amos  Stacy 
John  Strong 
Horace  Smith 
Eliphaz  Tyler 
£harles  Webber 


Josiah  H.  SeymourS.  C.  L.  Warden 
Uriah  Seymour       John  Wicks 
Hannah  Seymour    Wm.  Walker 


Lucy  Stand  ley 
.Austin  Shaw 
Ephrahn  Turner 
^ainuel  Teed 
Cornelius  Tower 
John  W.  Thayer 


Rome. 
S.  W.  Andrews 
John  Biinn 
Arba  Blair 
T.  Brackney 
S   H.  Burnham 
Ahby  Bullock 
Rev.  D.  Dudleys. 
Pliny  Darrow 
John  Driggs 
Daniel  Day  jr. 
Asa  Danforih 
Lewis;  Ellis 
John  Elward 


Eiisha  Williams 

Wm.  M.  Winship 
Mo&es  Wade 

unas  Williams 

ez  Winchester 
.Oiivui  Weils 
Far  *<?. 
Hawxhurst  Adding-  Wm.  J.  Ecker 

ton  Philip  Tiitr 

'\Yro.  W..  Buckley  Amos  Flint 
i  \  Burlingam  Charles  Faie! 

ry  Bates  Enos  Gilbert 

Russell  Brooks         Eoxcy  R.  Graves 
EzraB.  Brews  lei'    John  Gibbecs 
.Tares  Curtis  .  Thomas  Giiscn 

::3  Grain          Parker  HaHeek 
Uri--D6oiittle  Lois  Hart 

Sajnuei  Estabrooks  John  Houldin 
Wm.  Gere 

:i  Hawley 
Elnathan  Judd 
Joel  C.  Lewis 
George  T.  Pearce 
David  Ramsey 
Daniel  Stanton 


Mose 
Milo  Hunt 
Tilncsis  Hawley 
Norman  Jndcl 
Simpson  Johnson 
Edwin  Kinncy 
Wm.  Kittrick 


George  .F,  Simmons  James  King 


Joshua  Kirkland 
Newton  Lovejoy 
Joseph  Low 
Isaac  Lee 
John  W.  Lynde 
Nutna  Leonard 
Anthony  Merrills 
Silas  Matteson 
Robert  Mastin 
Polly  Manville 
George  Mordoif 
Andrew  Putnam 
Jemiah  Rowley 
Seth  B.  Roberts 
James   Reynolds 
Mayor  Rising 
Isaac  J.  Sexton 
Jonathan  Tibbits 
Oliver  Willcox 
Ralph  White 
John  .Went  worth 
Jabez  West 
Eleazar  Waterman 
James  Wilson 
Jonas  Warren 

Sehenectady. 
John  Anderson 
James  Ackert 
David  Allen 
Garret  I.  Becker 
Sylvester  Brown 
James  Bradford 
M.  &  E.  Bailey 
Abraham  Becker 
Gerrit  Barhydt 
John  Bovee 
Jacob  D.  Babcock 
Daniel  Burt    . 
Henry  Beeckman 
John  Barker 
Mvnd«r  Brown 


425 


A.  Barhydt 
Nicholas  Bradt 
Seth  K.  Burgess 
Cornelius  Bradt 
Aaron  Burt 
J.  J.  Barhu^dt 
J.  N.  Barheydt 
Philip  Rochman 
Luther  Babbit 
E  Cushman 
Henry  Chester 
A.  B.  Converse 
Richard  Cooke 
Myron  Cole 
Smith  Chase 
Douwe  Clule 
John  B.  Clute,  jr. 
Abraham  Corl 
W.  Conkling 
Wessel  Clute 
Moses  Crane 
Christopher  Clark 
Samuel  Cranston 
James  Coon 
Peter  Clute,  jr. 
G.  Q   Carley 
Thomas  Campbell 
Peter  J   Clute 
Nancy  Clark 
Isaac  J.  Clute 
R.  Consauls 
Maria  Corl 
Jacob  C.  Consaul 
Eliza  Cox 
Adam  Can* 
Obed  Chandler 
Wm.  C.  Denney 
George  D unbar 
John  Dratt 
Daniel  S.  DegrafF 
Mary  Duboi« 


J.  W.  Eastburn 
Jacob  D.  Fonda 
Catharine  Freeman 
Jelles  A.  Fonda 
Isaac  V.  Ferrell 
Cornelius  Gates 
P.  C.  Gansevoort 
Cornelius  Glen 
Lewis  Groat 
Walter  Groesback 
MB.  Harrington 
H.  P.  Hunt 
Alexander  Hall 
Samuel  Hill 
John  Heaton 
David  Hearsy 
Hannah  Hecock 
James  Hillscn 
John  JIarman 
John  Johnson 
Thomas  limes 
Isaac  Johnson 
Ealaci  Kittle 
S.  P.  Lemoine 
C.  Y.  Lansing 
John  I).  Lawyer 
Robert  Lansing 
Aaron  D   Lane 
Isaac  Ladue 
John  Ludiow 
El  is  ha  Laird 
David  Little 
John  A.  Morrison 
John  Moffat 
Isaac  Miller 
Robert  Maltliev/s 
C.  R.  K.  Mosher 
T.  McArthur 
Maria  Morrison 
A.  McCornock 
John  McCall 
M  m  2 


John  H.  Moyston 

George  W.  Morselis 

Wrn.  Munrcc 

D  McChasney 

J.  A.  McDoogall 

Aron  Merselis 

Win  McClyman 

E  Nott,D.*D.  Pres- 
ident of  the  Un- 
ion College. 

Daniel  Nichofs 

Robert  Osbiirn 

Ann  Owens 

Moses  Ogden 

Lydia  Oliver 

Joseph  Patterson 

James  Pitman 

Eliza  Paulding 

Katharine  Paul  ding 

John  Plait 

John  C.  Poweil 

Hermon  Peters 

Win.  Palmer 

Henry  Peek 

Christopher  C.  Peek 

J  Y.  Peek,  jr. 

Sidney  Redfield 

Emmy  Rouw 

J   Riggs 

John  B.  Roberson 

James  Rogers 

John  J.  Randall 

A.  Rockwell 

Jacob  Ryan 

George  Ross 

Portion  G.  Sea  bury 

Geo.  A.  Shufelclt 

M.  Schermeihorn 

J.  S.  Schermerbom 

Daiel  Shields 

Samuel  Sttcra 


426 


SUBSCRIBERS    NAMES. 


John  Shaw  Asa  K.  Ward 

Cyrus  M.  Stebbins  Margaret  Watson 
J.  B.  ScherrnerhornBetsey  Whitten 
M   S'chermerhorn    J   Walton 
J.  Schoonmaker      John  Wilkie 
Abraham  Sw its  jr.  S.  M.  Williams 
Liezabeth  Shuler     H.  A.  Williams 
Joseph  Shot  well      Andrew  White 
Alida  Swits  Eleanor  Ward 

Maria  Shears  Richard  Ward 

A.  J.  SchermerhcrnJames  Wasson 
Phebe  Spring 
John  Taunahill 
I.  H.  Ten  Eyck 
James  Thomas 
John  F.  Fruax 
George  Uphold  jr. 


James  Coles 
Esekiel  Clark 
Thos.  Colling 
Erastus  Clark 
Thos.  H.  Clark 
JohnD.  Cray 
Erastus  Cross 
Heman  W.  Clark 
Wilson  Carr 
Eli  Chad  wick 
Ira  Cummins 
Thos.  Cornwall 
D.  W.  Childs 
Abraham  Culver 


Utica. 

Albert  A.  Vedder    Seth  Allen 
Gnert  Van  Schoon-  Henry  Back 

haven  F.  A.  Bloodgood 

Harman  R.  Van      J.  A.  Bingham 

Huysen  Orin  Brons'on 

Elizabeth  VroomanJohn  Bradish 
Ji.  Van  Veghten      Henry  Battles 
Oliver  Babcock 
Saml.  Beach 
Eustice  Bronson 
Levi  Barn  urn 


Henry  Van  Den 

Bergh 

Clara  Vedder 
J.  Van  Laver 
J.  Vendebogort 
H.  G!e»  Van  Ing 
H.  Van  Veghten 


D.  Van.  Derby  den  Nehemiah  Brown 


Helen  Vedder 
M.  T.  E.  Vceder 
H.  Van  Voast 
J.  B.  Peflen 

Harman  Veeder 

N.  I.  Van  Dcbogart James  Battle,  jr. 

.1    Van  Antwerp      Win.  Culverson 

11.  Van  RensseikerStoddard  Colton 
I.  Van.  Wie  George  Caller 


G.  G.  Young. 
Troy. 

John  Morrison 

James  W.  MorrisonG.  &,  T.  Christian 
Rt  P.  McManus.     Amos  Carpenter 
John  Culver 
Wm.  Donnington 
Samuel  Danforth 
Jesse  W.  Doolittle 
Win.  Donaldson 
Augustine  G.Dauby 
David  R.  Dixon 
Seth  D  wight 
Israel  Decker 
J.  H.  Dodd 
Maria  Dorchester 
Henry  Egleston 
Augustus  Elmer 
John  E  Evertscn 
Jeremiah  Ethridge 
Jonathan  Evans 
Aaron  Egleston 
Samuel  Flint 
James  Fall 
Theodore  Faxon 
John  Garrison 
Samuel  J.  Grannie 
J.  C.  Guiteau 
Phiries  Goodwin 
Thomas  Geor 


Henry  Bowen 
John  Bouck 
Gurdon  Burchard 


James  Brown 
JohnC   Bull 
Samuel  Bardwell 
Oliver  Barton 
Adam  Bo  man 


NEW-YORK. 


•427 


Amos  Gridley         Lydia  Mitchell 
John  M.  HerringtonThos.  More 
Johathan  Hedges     Robert  Miller 
Thos  M  Hathaway  Joseph  Myers 
Jesse  Hooker  Merrell  k  Camp 

James  Hicks  Wm.  Nickerson 

Augustus  Hickcox  Allen  Peck 
Jonathan  Hoyt         Wm.  F.  Potter 
David  Hasbrouck    Asa  Palmer 
Benjamin  Hinraan  John  Queal 
Horace  J.  Hulbert 


J.  Van  Renssellaer 
W.  H.  Wolcott 
Samuel  Ward 
Lydia  Willmot 
Lyman  Worden 
Abraham  Williams 
Judah  Williams 
N.  M.  Whittemore 
Thomas  Walker 
N.  N.  Wraver 

Warren  Raymond  Therlow  Wead 
Oliver  Ramsdeil       Wm.  Whiteby 
Truman  Rood          Benjamin  Wilse 
Win.  Howe  S.  Wood  worth 

Asahel  Reberts,  jr.  John  Wei's 
Reuben  Ramsdill     Robert  Wilson 
Griffiith  Roberts 
Ralph  II.  Rogers 
Septibah  Harpham  Riley  Rogers 
A.  Jermain  Michael  Rouney 

Butler  &  Jones 
A.  Johnson 
John  S.  Kunzel 
David  Lanterman 
H.  W.  Livingston 
Elisha  Love tt 
Henry  Lewis 
Calvin  Lincoln 

Ezra  Lowell  Windsor  Stone,  jr.  Nathan  Davis,  jr. 

Wm.  Lowell  Nicholas  Smith        James  Dougherty 

Thomas  Lai i more    Asher  Smith  Barker  Darling 

John  Slorrs  Jonathan  Elderkin 

John  S.  Simonson  Percy  Eames 


John  Houston 
Jos   S.  Hull 
James  Hopper 
Barker  Hancock 
Wm.  Hayes,  jr. 
Jacob  Harter 
David  Hills 


George  Rogers 

Christian  StockmanJonathan  Bunce 


Thomas  Wilson 
M.  Yates 

Vernon. 

Robert  Anderson 
Einathan  Benedict 


Daniel  Stafford 
Shubael  Storrs 
Erastus  Shepard 
Wm.  Sickels 
Charles  Smith 
John  Snow,  jr. 


Joseph  Bartlet 
John  W.  Bond 
John  Botsford 
Chas.  S.  Compton 
Wm.  Cary 
Amos  Carman 


Morris  S.  Miller 
Church  Miller 
Theodore  Miller 
Peter  Mix 
Wm.  Morris 
James  McClesney 
Andrew  Merrell 
Alb.  B.  Munroe 
Henry  Maroin 
Susannah  Morris 


Artemas  Sayles 
Henry  Tisdale 
Daniel  Tice 
B.  K.  Thomas 
Abijah  Thomas 
Jacob  Tours 
Ashel  Tyler,  jr. 


John  Fitch 
Win.  Foot 
Samuel  Gay 
John  Grousbecfc 
James  Gardiner 
Jos.  Hopkins 
Sands  Higtnboihain 


Wm.  A,  Tenncry  Gilbert  Hal! 


SUBSCRIBERS   NAMES. 


Daniel  Hosmer 

Harvey  Hamltn 

Philip  Hoagle 

He  man  Hitchcock 

Richard  Hall 

Ba;zilia  Howard 

Perry  Hubbart 

Daniel  Hawley 

Anthony  Hilt 

Asher  Huntington 

Zera  Ives 

Miller  Jackson 

Martin  Kirtland 

Chauncey  KirkhamDaniel  Crandal 

Sally  Lainphear       Seth  Capron 


Whiiesborough. 
George  Andrews 
Perry  Allen 
Rufus  Brown 
Benjamin  Brown 
Luther  Bennett 
T.  Barnard 
L  Berry 
Henry  Barley- 
Ed  ward  Barnard 
Melinda  Bishop 
Stephen  Bowen 
Samuel  Cook,  jr. 


Horatio  Marsh 

Obed  Marsh 

Hannah  Norton 

Dennis  Neal 

Rufus  Pettibone 

David  Piersoii 

Josiah  Patten 

Sylvester  Pease 

Elijah  Root 

Jacob  Russell 

Joseph  Roberts 

Asa  Richardson 

Grove  Stoddard 

John  B.  Stone 

H.  R.  Schoolcraft 

Thomas  Stephens 

Grinold  Stannard 

Charles  Thompson  Jane  Dusten 

Wm.  W.  Williams  Susan  Eefls 

Josiah  Warner 

Wm.  Ward 

Robert  Watterson 

Edward  Whitney 

Asa  Willard 

Abraham  Younss 


Elijah  Colson 

Richard  Cook 

Christopher  Cook 

Archibald  Cook 

Abram  Camp 

Wm.  M.  Cheever 

Vine  H.  Clark 

Elisha  Capron 

Joseph  Culver 

Franklin  Clark 

Catharine  Coburn 

Sally  Douglass 

Wm.  Dewey 

Ira  Dickinson 

Virgil  Draper 

Jonathan  Dusten 

Ebenezer  DemmonJenckes  Perkins 
Charlotte  Pick  en 
Newcom  Phillips 

Silvester  Ferris 

Daniel  Furgesen 

Daniel  Fones 

Sarah  Gray 

Elihu  Grant 

Samuel  Gregg 

Tbo;  Gilbert 


Josiah  Goodrich 
Ebenezer  Grant 
Joseph  Goodliff 
Abraham  Goodrich 
James  Goss 
Patrick  Gesner 
Margaret  Goss 
Hannah  Goodrich 
Robert  Hume&tone 
Joseph  Hall 
Charles  Hickcox 
Ezra  Holbrook 
C.  A.  Harwood 
Wm   Haskin 
John  Harbottle 
Jesse  Ives 
Alanson  Ingham 
Simeon  Jones 
Martha  Johnson 
Philo  Leach 
Abraham  Miner 
Wm.  M-Elray 
James  M'Gan 
Matilda  Merrill 
John  Mott 
Herbert  B.  Mann 
Andrew  Miller 
Sylvanus  Metcalf 
Lem'l.  Covel  Mott 
John  Newhouse 
Hezekiah  Olmsted 


David  Perkins 
Win.  Palmur 
Jesse  Russell 
Nathaniel  Russell 
Abel  Rose 
Jonathan  Rose 
Oliver  G.  Rogers 


MASSACHUSETTS — RHODE-ISLAND — CONNECTICUT.     129 


Justus  Riley 
Lauren  Sprague 
Theodore  Sill 
Ezekiel  Steward 
Ezra  Stiles 
E.  A.  Scott 
Augustus  Spencer 
A.  Smith 
Amos  Saterlee 
David  Spooner 
Pliny  Smalley 
Martha  Smith 
Lorrin  Selkrig 
Eunice  Smith 
Wm.  Tilden 
Luthena  Vorce 
Benj.  S.  Walcott 
Philo  White 
Arnos  Wetmore 
Wm.  Wilcox 
John  P.  Watson 
Josiah  Wheele* 
John  Wright 
Wm.  Webb 
James  C.  Winter 
Joseph  White 
Simon  Wait 


Asher  W^etmore      Robert  Berts 
Abby  Wood  worth    Wm.  Rowland 
Sarah  Work  Darius  Roads 

Ephraim  Willson     Daniel  Thurston 
Erasius  WoodworthWm.  Thompson 

Westmoreland.     John  Thusten 
Harry  Bliss.  John  Veer 

John  Wetmore,  jr. 
MASSACHUSETTS.    Thos.  Whiteliouse 

Orlando  Wetmore 
Deerfeld. 
John  Adams 
John  Brown 
Samuel  Baker 
Nath'l.  Grossman 
Dan  Daniels 
Lemuel  Deleno 
Peter  Fair 
Wm.  Francis 
Dolly  Graham 
Robert  Kurd 
Cornelius  Hall 
Netus  Hobby 
Thomas  Jones 
James  Kenedy 
Gardner  Mason 
Win.  Peck 


Lenox. 
Catharine  Barkley. 

Pittsfeld. 
John  Dickinson 
Aaron  Newell 

RHODE  ISLAND. 

SouthrKingstown. 
James  B.  Hazard, 

CONNECTICUT. 

Danhury. 
Lewis  Hiibbel 


